CCS: The American Cards
by The Create Card
Summary: Life has been relatively quiet for Sakura since sealing a 2nd book. But in the midst of her senior year of high school, an incomplete Clow book has been discovered...in the United States? The final chapter is here. Don't miss it!.
1. Prologue

Author's Note: I honestly didn't know if I'd be back, but based on the tremendously positive response I've gotten for my last series, I've decided to come back for another run. And what a long series this turned out to be. I didn't think I'd take this long, but it took me a while to make sure everything was just right.

  


**CCS: The American Cards: Part 1**

  


"How's it been so far, Sakura?"

Sakura didn't say anything. She just plopped into her bed. It's been a long December thus far. Her senior year of high school wasn't anything like she thought it would be. No matter what she told Kero, it was a lot harder than it looked. What made her think that senior year would be easy?

"It's just fine," Sakura lied. "But just the same, I think I need some sleep."

"So does that mean you aren't seeing Li today?" Kero asked.

Sakura thought about that. This would be the first day in weeks that she won't be seeing Li Shoran. They were practically inseparable. It wasn't anything like it was five years ago. But Sakura's life in general wasn't anything like it was five years ago. Back when she was in seventh grade, Sakura had to resume her role as a Cardcaptor and seal a whole new book of cards. And by the time it was all over, Sakura was happy to know that Li came back and he would be here to stay.

That meant a lot of headaches for Madison, though. Li ended up staying at her place. What was supposed to be a temporary thing, ended up being a five-year stay. Madison even thought about charging him rent after a while. Eventually, she had to come clean with her family about Li staying with her. After all, she couldn't hide him for five years.

Then came another problem. After about the first six months, Li's own family started to wonder about him. A new book of cards only worked as an excuse for a while, but eventually they started wondering. Li boldly told them that he wanted to stay with Sakura, but his family would have none of it. Eventually, Li severed all ties with them. It saddened Sakura to see him do that, especially for her.

But not everyone would just let Li go. A few months after Li and his family had their falling out, Meilin Rae decided to take matters into her own hands. She decided to leave Hong Kong as well. And needless to say, she wasn't too thrilled with learning about what's happened between Sakura and Li. Meilin would consistently become a headache, not just for Sakura and Li, but also for Madison. After all, Meilin also needed a place to stay and Madison was the only one who could provide it.

Yes, things had changed in the last five years. But Sakura knew this much. Her life as a Cardcaptor was over…unless there was something Kero wasn't telling her. She didn't think about that, though. Sakura just drifted off to sleep.

* * *

"Sakura…"

Sakura looked around her. She didn't know where she was, but she was in the middle of nowhere. It was a desert. She realized she was obviously dreaming, but what was she dreaming about? Sakura recognized the voice, though. It was Kero.

"Kero?"

Kero didn't say anything. He just started flying away. Sakura followed him and saw he was leading her to what looked like an archaeological dig. Something inside her told her to walk in. She looked around to find various remains. Sakura was surrounded by bones.

"What am I doing here?" Sakura tried asking Kero. "All I see are bones."

"Look closer," Kero finally said.

Sakura looked by one of the skeletons and saw a book. More than that, it looked like a familiar book. It had the same insignia as the Book of Clow and the Book of the 2nd Cards. It couldn't be, though. That would be impossible.

Just then, someone came in. He looked like an archaeologist. Surprisingly, he walked right by Sakura. He didn't see her. It must've been because this was a dream…a dream that wasn't making any sense. He took the book and walked outside. He placed the book on a table and opened it. He pulled out one of the cards and looked at it closely.

Then he said that one fateful word. "Windy."

Of course, Sakura wasn't too worried. Nobody without magical powers can activate a card. The archaeologist left the card in the book and left on his jeep. The book was left open, though. Suddenly, the cards started flying out.

"No way!" Sakura shouted. "That's impossible! How could that happen?!"

"You must be confused," Kero noted. "But unfortunately, I can't give you any answers right now."

"Why not?"

"Because you're about to wake up."

* * *

Sakura woke up. She felt like she was asleep for hours, but when she looked at her clock, she saw that only twenty minutes had passed. So she got on her feet and walked to her desk drawer.

"Kero! Get out here!"

Kero yawned as he flew out. "Aw, Sakura. I was just getting some sleep. Whatever you have must be contagious, because I'm beat."

"Never mind that, Kero," Sakura said. She was about to ask about her dream when she heard something from her window.

"Did you see the same thing I saw?"

Sakura looked out her window. Hanging on a nearby branch was Li Shoran. It still startled Sakura every time she saw him outside her window. He could never knock on the door like a normal person.

"It depends," Sakura said as she opened the window. "What did you see?"

"Did you see a book of cards being released?" Li clarified. "I saw a book was uncovered and the cards were accidentally released."

"I saw something like that," Sakura said grimly. "But how could that happen? Nobody without magical powers can open a book."

"Yeah, well…"

"Wait a minute!" Sakura interrupted. She sternly looked at Kero. "Just how many books are there?! I thought the Book of the 2nd Cards was the last one."

Kero shook his head. "Eight years. It's been eight years since the Book of Clow has been closed and it's been five years since the Book of the 2nd Cards has been closed. But I never believed that the third book would be released."

Sakura groaned again. "Not another book. I thought we were finished with the books. I was just getting ready to enjoy my senior year of high school. Now…"

"…You have to become a Cardcaptor again," Li finished for her.

Sakura looked sternly at Li. "Did YOU know about a third book of cards?"

Li hesitated. "…Maybe."

"So everybody knew about this third book except me," Sakura huffed. "I thought I was supposed to be the chosen Cardcaptor here. How come I'm only hearing about this now?"

"We…didn't want you to worry about it," Kero tried saying. "If I had told you there was another book out there, how would you have taken it?"

"Not very well."

"Then there you go," Kero continued. "Why should we make you worry over nothing when you were just trying to get back to a normal life?"

"I guess that's true," Sakura conceded. "But this still doesn't make any sense to me! There can't just be another book that suddenly comes into my life. I don't even know where this book came from." She looked at Li. "I thought there were only TWO books."

"There…sort of were," Li muttered. "There was one that Clow Reed made and another that the Clow Cards made. The third one…" he paused.

"What about the third one?" Sakura asked impatiently.

Kero picked up for him. "Well, Clow Reed was proud of the work he was doing with the first series of cards. So he went to work on another one. Unfortunately, that's when Clow Reed saw the potential danger that the Clow Cards could bring. So Clow Reed then sealed the Clow Cards but had another problem on his hands. He had already begun his second series of cards. So he took this incomplete series and sealed them in another book. Seeing how the series WAS incomplete, Clow Reed didn't take as many precautions with this book. He didn't create a guardian, didn't create a magic seal, or anything. He just decided to have the book buried where nobody could find it."

"And where was that?" Sakura asked.

"Clow Reed knew a place he thought no one would ever look. The place was completely uninhabited, except for a few of the natives and they wouldn't be searching underground. Of course, Clow Reed couldn't predict the future. The place isn't exactly uninhabited these days."

"What is this place?"

"Boston."

Sakura's eyes grew wide. "Boston?! As in Boston in the United States?!"

Kero nodded. "The very same. Clow Reed couldn't foresee the inevitable arrival of English settlers, so he thought this incomplete book of cards would never be found. But now they have…and now they have to be sealed…by…"

Sakura hung her head down at the realization. "Me…the one who broke the seal of the Clow Cards."

"Looks like we're going to Boston," Kero boldly stated.

Sakura put her head back up. "Wait, Kero! I'm in the middle of my senior year. I can't just leave the country…especially to go halfway around the world. I don't even know when I'll come back."

"That's true," Kero nodded. "You could be gone for a while…a month…maybe two. Sure, your vacation's coming up. But you'll still have a lot of work to do when you come back."

"You can't be serious!" Sakura shouted. "I'll never be able to catch up!"

"Then I suggest you get some of the work in advance," Kero suggested. "Do some of it on the plane or do it in the airport. Either way, we have to leave before it's too late. Those cards could cause a lot of damage."

"So we have to go save Boston," Sakura finished for him.

Kero hesitated. "…Not exactly."

"Huh?"

"Be realistic, Sakura," Kero went on. "Those cards aren't going to be confined to just Boston. They could spread. That's why we have to leave right away."

"But how can we afford plane tickets to Boston?" Li asked.

"I think we all know the answer to that," Kero said casually.

* * *

"What makes you think I can get so much money?"

The announcement of a third book of cards took Madison by surprise. And Sakura knew that her best friend would be the only one who could afford these tickets.

"I don't doubt it, Madison," Sakura smiled. "We really need you this time. This is the first time I've ever had to take Cardcaptoring overseas. Can you please get us the money?"

"Only on one condition," Madison said.

"What's that?" Li asked.

Madison suddenly grew…excited. "Take me with you! I've always wanted to go overseas! I've never been anywhere outside of Japan before!"

"Are you sure you want to do that, Madison?" Sakura asked. "You could fall behind."

"I'll do the work over there," Madison suggested. "We'll do it together. And besides, our vacation's coming up, so we won't miss too much time. Don't worry about it. Just let me go!"

"Ok, you can go," Sakura laughed. "I mean, you ARE getting us the tickets. So that makes three?"

"Better make it four."

Sakura groaned in her mind. She could have sworn that it just three of them in Madison's backyard. Of course, she shouldn't have assumed that she could go the whole day without seeing Meilin.

Meilin didn't waste any time in getting close to Li. "You weren't planning on leaving without me, were you, Li?"

"Uh…of course not," Li stammered. "I didn't forget about you, Meilin."

Sakura shook her head. To be honest, she really wanted this to be a trip for two. But she couldn't control this. She couldn't leave Madison here. She was the one paying for the tickets. And she couldn't leave Meilin by herself. As irritating as she could be, Sakura still considered her a friend. In fact, eight years ago, they were a team.

"So when do we leave?" Meilin asked.

"As soon as we get our make-up work," Sakura answered.

It sounded so easy. Get the make-up work and head off for Boston. But Sakura knew it wouldn't be that easy. Being a Cardcaptor was the toughest secret Sakura ever had to keep. But now, the difficulty of keeping that secret had increased tenfold.

What could she tell her family? How could she explain having to leave the country?

  


Any Comments? This is only the beginning. **DO NOT** forget to review below.


	2. Caught already?

Author's Note: Last time, a new set of cards has been released. The catch? It was released from its burial plot in Boston…at least Kero said it was Boston. So now everyone has to leave Japan for the United States. But what does Sakura tell her family?

  


Cards captured so far: …None. They haven't started yet.

  


**CCS: The American Cards: Part 2**

  


It took a while, but Sakura finally made it into the airport. Everyone had arranged to rendezvous at Gate 16. The flight was scheduled for 10:00 AM. Sakura was still thinking about what she had to do last night. She hated that she had to tell such a bold lie to her family. But she had to make up a story about how she had to fly back to Hong Kong with Li. It was farfetched and Sakura could only hope her father didn't go so far as to check on her, because it would more than likely destroy her story.

But Sakura knew she couldn't tell them the truth. How could she tell them she was going to the United States as a Cardcaptor? They didn't even know she was a Cardcaptor. And she couldn't tell them, either.

Finally, she arrived at Gate 16, and was it ever crowded. She couldn't believe there were this many people going to Boston this time of year. She had to look everywhere. Then she finally found them. There were Madison, Meilin, and Li, waiting for Sakura.

Sakura was about to walk up to them, when she felt a hand touch her shoulder. She turned and gasped. She was shocked to see her brother, Tori.

"Tori, what are you doing here?" Sakura asked.

"I'm…waiting for someone," Tori tried answering. "Someone's coming in early today."

"You're checking up on me, aren't you?" Sakura suspected.

"I wouldn't want you to be late for your trip to Boston," Tori responded.

Sakura gulped. She had been discovered…already. "How…did you know that?"

"Why else would the Three Musketeers be standing by Gate 16?" Tori answered. "Sakura, tell me you didn't lie to me and dad in the face. Didn't you say you were going to Hong Kong?"

Sakura stuttered nervously. "I…might have said something like that."

"Why'd you lie to us, squirt?" Tori asked. "What made you think we'd let you go to Boston? Why are you even going to Boston in the first place?"

Sakura was stuck. She didn't know what possible explanation she could give…besides telling the truth. There was nothing she could do. She knew the truth was out of the question.

"I…don't know what to tell you, Tori," Sakura admitted. "All I can tell you is that I have a very good reason for going to Boston…"

"And lying to us."

"And…lying to you. But please believe me when I tell you that I can't tell you why."

Tori still wasn't convinced. "It's about HIM, isn't it?" He was referring to Li.

"No…not exactly," Sakura stammered. "Tori…please. Just trust me on this one. My flight's about to leave."

"But don't you know how dangerous it could get down there?" Tori pointed out. "How do I know you'll be safe?"

Sakura shook her head. "I can take care of myself. And Li will take care of me, too. Tori, I have a really good reason for going to Boston…but I can't tell you what it is right now. I'm only asking you to trust me."

"You'll understand if I don't trust you completely," Tori said. "I was 17, too. I know what people your age are like. But I also know that if I was 17, I wouldn't be appealing to my big brother like this. So you must be telling…something like the truth. So I'll tell you what. You can go and I won't tell dad, if you promise to do two things for me."

"Anything," Sakura nodded. "Just name it."

"One: You tell me EVERYTHING when you get back. I want to know why you went to Boston, why you felt you had to lie to us about it, and what you did there."

Sakura nodded. So she had from now until she got back to think of another lie. Because, again, she remembered she couldn't tell the truth.

"And two," Tori held up a cellular phone and handed Sakura a piece of paper with a phone number. "I know Madison has a phone on her. I want you to check up on me EVERYDAY. For whatever reason, you call me and check in. No matter what happens, you make that phone call, Sakura Avalon. You miss a day, then I tell dad."

"But it's a long distance call," Sakura pointed out. "Who's going to pay for it?"

"We'll discuss it when you get back," Tori replied. "If you come back and give me a good reason for leaving, then I'll pay for everything. If not, then it's all coming out of your pocket, squirt."

Sakura sighed. "Deal. Can I go now?"

"I wouldn't want you to be late," Tori said. "Have a safe trip."

Sakura stood there as Tori walked over to gate 20. She could hardly believe it. She had already been exposed and now she could be in big trouble whenever she returns. Now Cardcaptoring seemed a lot…harder. Sensing impending defeat, Sakura slowly made her way towards her friends in Gate 16.

Li was the first to ask. "What happened?"

Sakura sighed deeply. "I have from now until I come back to Japan to think of the perfect lie…or I'll be grounded for life."

"Sounds bad," Li said. "You can tell me all about it on the flight."

**"NOW BOARDING: FLIGHT 16 TO BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS USA"**

Before leaving to board her flight, Sakura looked back one more time. Tori was already gone. And it would be the last time she would see him…for possibly a long time.

* * *

"Sakura, wake up!"

Sakura opened her heavy eyelids. The first person she saw when she woke up…was Li.

"Is it morning already?"

"We're here. Look out the window."

Sakura looked out to see that they had arrived. The plane had landed at Logan International Airport in Boston. She looked out the window to see the sun had just risen. She has no idea how long she had been out.

"What time is it?" Sakura asked.

Meilin looked at her watch. "We left Japan at 12 noon. What time is it now?"

Madison looked at the clock outside the plane's window. "It's 6 in the morning."

Sakura thought about that. "Wow…major time difference."

**"NOW ARRIVING IN BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS"**

Sakura knew there was no turning back now. She was the first to step out of the plane and look around. It felt so…different. She had never been this far away from home before. Sakura didn't know what to expect.

Sakura waited for everyone to come out. She looked back at Madison. "We'll be ok, won't we?"

Madison looked around at the vast airport. "I'm…sure we'll be fine. Let's just catch up to Li and Meilin."

Sakura and Madison walked over to where Li and Meilin were standing. They already had their luggage out and everything seemed to be in order. Except for one thing.

"Madison?" Sakura asked. "Can I use your phone?"

Madison handed Sakura her cellular phone. She knew this call was long distance, but she had to make it anyway. It was time for her to check in.

_"Hello?"_

"Tori? It's Sakura."

_"How was the trip, squirt?"_

"We all made it here safely. Uh…what time is it over there?"

_"Relax, Sakura. It's only one in the afternoon over here. I imagine it's early over in Boston."_

"It's six in the morning over here."

_"Is that so? Hey…why are you in Boston again?"_

"Tori! We agreed that I'd tell you when I got back. I thought you trusted me."

_"No, I said I didn't trust you. But you're right. You'd just better be ready to tell me when you get back."_

"That might be a long way from now. I'll talk to you later."

_"Bye, squirt. And don't forget to check in."_

Sakura sighed as she hung up. She handed the phone back to Madison.

"Is Tori going to have you on a leash this whole trip?" Madison asked.

"Looks like it," Sakura answered grimly. "You won't let me forget to check in, right?"

"You can count on me," Madison smiled. "Uh…where are Li and Meilin?"

Sakura wanted to know that herself. They had left Sakura and Madison behind with all the bags. But maybe it was better that way. Sakura needed to take out one important thing from her suitcase. She opened the suitcase and saw Kero gasping for breath.

"Ah, the sights I've seen," Kero finally said. "It's such an experience to see where all your luggage goes when you leave it in the airport. But Sakura…COULDN'T YOU HAVE AT LEAST LEFT ME MORE THAN ONE AIRHOLE?!?!"

"Be quiet!" Sakura hushed. "Someone will hear you!"

Kero looked around. "So this is Boston. Looks a lot like Japan."

"This is only the airport," Sakura laughed. "We haven't actually gone outside yet. We're just waiting for Li and Meilin. Right, Madison? …Madison?"

Madison was gone, but she didn't go too far. She was already on her way out of the gift shop. Sakura couldn't believe she was completely oblivious to the fact that her friend had been there this whole time. Madison came back out holding three batteries for her video camera and a big map.

"This should last me the whole trip," Madison grinned. "And I got this map of Boston."

"Is that it?" Kero asked.

"I think so," Madison replied. "Why do you ask?"

"You might want to buy a map of the United States," Kero suggested.

"What for?"

"Trust me," Kero said solemnly. "We'll need it. If it's been that long since the cards have been released, then most, if not all, of the cards might have escaped Boston by now."

Sakura thought about that as Madison went back to the gift shop. If that was true, then the cards could be anywhere. No one said this would be easy, but no one said it would be this hard, either.

* * *

"Well…it looks…different."

Sakura had to agree with Li. The roads in Boston looked a bit different from the ones back in Japan. For one thing, they were full of traffic. They knew it would be a waste of time to rent a car.

"So…where do we go?" Sakura asked.

"I don't care where we go," Meilin snapped. "Just get us out of here. The noise is getting on my nerves!"

"I agree with Meilin on this one," Madison added. "Let's go over there."

Madison pointed at an isolated alley. Sakura knew what could be done over there. They ran over and made sure there was no one around.

Sakura looked at Li. "You did remember it, right?"

"You don't forget something like that, Sakura," Li said. He pulled out the Lasin Board. "Source of Light! With ancient spin! Send forth the magic power within! Force, know my plight! Release the light!"

The Lasin Board shot out its ray of light and pointed away from the alley. The only problem was that it pointed too far away. Sakura couldn't see where the light ended.

"This may be a lot harder than we thought," Sakura moaned.

It was Madison who cheerfully put in her two cents. "Maybe we should find a hotel first."

It sounded like a good idea. There were too many people out…and Sakura had no idea where she was or where she was going. Luckily, Logan International Airport was crawling with hotels, which she hoped Madison could easily afford. Maybe she needed a little break too.

She had a long quest ahead of her.

  


Any comments? It's just getting started. So don't forget to review below.


	3. The First Card in Salem

Author's Note: Sakura has yet to find her first card and is just finding out that it isn't in Boston at all. So where ARE they going?

  


Cards captured so far: …Get back to me when this part's over.

  


**CCS: The American Cards: Part 3**

  


Sakura should have known. There was a reason Madison was so eager to unpack. She wanted to unpack Sakura's latest costume. Sakura was surprised that Madison only brought one, but she assured the Cardcaptor that more were to come. Madison would try to sew a new one every night…when she wasn't doing her homework from back in Japan.

Sakura fidgeted around with her tight pink skirt. The leather pink top wasn't doing her many favors, either. So far, she wasn't enjoying what Madison had given her.

"Madison, where'd you get this?" Sakura asked. "I look like one of the Spice Girls."

"Really?" Madison giggled. "I think it's a good look for you."

"It's definitely an improvement from what you usually wear, Avalon," Meilin added.

Sakura shook her head and looked out the window. The Lasin Board pointed a lot farther than any of them thought. It went so far, that they had to rent a car. It was a roomy red Dodge that Madison could easily afford. Madison drove while Li sat in the front seat, holding out the Lasin Board. Madison just followed the light, hoping that nobody noticed an unusual light sticking out of their car. And Sakura sat in the back seat, often arguing with Meilin.

And somewhere under the driver's seat, sat Kero. And Sakura had her share of arguments with the guardian beast as well. He told her the third book was in Boston, but admitted to her the night before that he was wrong. The book was somewhere else and he guessed it was wherever the Lasin Board was pointing to.

"What's that sign say, Meilin?" Sakura suddenly asked.

She looked out the window as the sign on Route 1A passed by. "It says 'Welcome to Salem'."

Sakura wondered about that. "Salem…where have I heard that before?"

"It was our World History class," Madison answered. "Salem was the place they held those witch trials."

"I can't believe Clow Reed hid that book here," Kero suddenly piped up. "In the place the witch trials were held. How ironic."

"I can't believe you don't know the difference between Boston and Salem," Li blurted out.

"Ok, I made a mistake!" Kero burst out. "So sue me! The book is here and so is the card. I can feel it!"

"I think I finally see something," Li said.

The Lasin Board light had led them to Essex Street. Madison parked the car and everyone filed out of the Dodge. Sakura couldn't help but notice people stare as they passed by. She couldn't tell if they were staring at Li and the Lasin Board or at Sakura's strange outfit. They all walked down Essex Street, passing historic buildings on the way until the Lasin Board's light changed trajectory where Essex Street turned. Finally, they all reached an old looking building along the corner of Lynde Street. The Lasin Board was pointing past a place called the Witch Dungeon Museum.

"Is it in there?" Meilin asked.

"I doubt it," Li answered. "I think it's back here."

He ran off, nearly leaving everyone behind. Sakura had to run fast to catch up to him.

* * *

Sakura honestly didn't think Li would run that far without waiting for anybody. But he kept on running until he found the Lasin Board pointing into a construction area. Sakura looked around her and saw that this place looked familiar.

"Kero, this is just like what I saw in my dream."

"Do you remember anything?" Kero asked.

"I…only remember where the hole might be," Sakura recalled. "It should be around here somewhere."

Everyone was following the Lasin Board, but Sakura sensed something else. She started to walk the other way.

"Uh…Sakura," Kero called out. "The Lasin Board's pointing this way. Where are you going?"

Sakura didn't answer. She just ran towards the other side of the construction area and saw the giant hole she saw in her dream. Sakura made sure the coast was clear and crossed the yellow tape. She went down into the hole and found exactly what she was looking for. She walked over to a table and found a book on the ground. It was the book that contained the cards.

"Wow, Sakura," Kero said in awe. "How did you know to find the book here?"

"I sensed it," Sakura responded. "I knew I sensed something. But it was different than what I usually feel when I sense a card."

"Well, we've caught a lucky break," Kero said. "Now that we have the book, we can take it with us. And we might need it. Especially if the cards have spread just like I feared."

Suddenly, Sakura heard something. It was the light from the Lasin Board. The light shone down inside the hole where Sakura was.

"Li?"

"Sakura?!" Li called out. "Watch out! There's a card in there!"

Sakura could feel it, too. There was something around her. So she took out her magical key.

"Key of Clow. Power of Magic. Power of Light. Surrender the wand. The force ignite. Release!"

The sealing wand was now in her hand and Sakura looked around to find the card, whatever it was. Then Sakura started to feel dizzy. Her eyesight began to blur.

Sakura moaned as she started staggering around. "What's happening? Kero?"

"Sakura, what is it?" he asked. Whatever was happening, it wasn't affecting Kero.

"My…sight," Sakura cried out. "I…can't see."

"Wait there, Sakura!" she heard Li call out. "Force, know my plight! Release the light! Lightning!"

Sakura could hear lightning strike and she suddenly found her sight restored. She saw what was causing it. It was a cycloptic, black imp, holding a staff in its hand.

Kero recognized it. "It's the Vision Card!"

Sakura grew determined as she saw the Vision Card. She hadn't been this close to total blindness since she combated the Light Card back in seventh grade, five years ago. She wanted to find something to use against this Vision Card, but she had nothing. She didn't have any cards she could use.

Then she saw someone who could help. Meilin had come out of nowhere and was trying to sneak up behind the Vision Card.

"Gotcha!"

She dove for it, but the Vision Card jumped over her and started running away. It still had to get past Li, though. Li tackled it and had gripped it by the legs.

"Now, Sakura!" Li shouted. "I can't hold it!"

The Vision Card tried working its magic, but Li had his eyes closed. And the distraction was enough for Sakura. She ran up to the Vision Card and pointed her wand.

"Vision Card! Return to your power confined! Vision Card!"

The Vision Card was so busy with Li, it didn't see her coming. The Vision Card was sealed and Sakura held it in her hand.

"Are you all right?" Sakura asked Li.

"I'm fine," Li nodded. "I kept my eyes closed so it couldn't do anything. Sakura, how did you know it'd be down here?"

"I…didn't," Sakura admitted. "I came down here for another reason." She took out the book and showed it to Li.

Li took the book and examined it. "No seal, not even a label. But this is definitely the book. I always heard of Clow Reed's incomplete book. No one ever thought it really existed."

"Just where did you hear about it from?" Sakura asked.

"I heard from the rest of my 'family'," Li answered. "You know…during happier times."

Sakura felt she shouldn't go into it anymore. She knew that it wasn't easy for Li to talk about his family. And she still couldn't believe that he severed all ties with them…just for her. The only ones who stood at his side were Sakura, Madison, and…

Sakura gasped. She turned around and ran up to Meilin. "Are you ok, Meilin?"

Meilin wasn't down from injury. There was nothing injured…except her pride.

"I could've had it," Meilin muttered. "It just slipped, that's all."

"Actually, I was lucky you were there," Sakura tried saying. "If you hadn't been there, the Vision Card would've never run towards Li."

"Don't give me that, Avalon," Meilin snapped. "Don't try to make it sound like I meant to do that. I admit it. I might have messed up this time, but it won't happen again."

There was one thing that changed from eight years ago. The four were pretty much a team now. They were no longer competing. Of course that didn't stop Meilin from trying to take matters into her own hands. And Sakura knew why. She wanted to impress Li.

"Well, that's one," Kero suddenly piped up. "The first of many."

"Many?" Sakura repeated. "I though this book was incomplete. How many cards are there?"

"I think Clow Reed was shooting for another 56," Kero answered. "Luckily, he only got done with about 20."

Sakura's eyes grew wide at that announcement. "20?!?! That could take weeks!!!"

"Then we'd better hurry," Kero said. "Where's the Chinese brat? We have to keep going."

"I'm right here, stuffed animal," Li said sourly. He took out the Lasin Board and got ready to find the next card. "Force, know my plight. Release the light!"

The Lasin Board pointed outside. Sakura, Li, and Meilin ran outside where Madison was waiting for them. Sakura wanted to see where the Lasin Board pointed to, but to her dismay, it only pointed to the sky.

"It's…not pointing to anything," Sakura thought aloud. "What does this mean?"

"This is bad," Li responded. "It means that the next card's too far out of the Lasin Board's range."

"It's just as I feared," Kero said grimly. "The cards have spread. We came too late."

"But where could they be?" Madison asked.

"They could be anywhere," Kero answered.

"Then how do we find them?" Meilin asked.

"I think we need to look to Sakura for that answer," Kero replied.

Sakura looked at Kero confusedly. "Me? How would I know? I didn't even know where the first card was to begin with."

"It's a good thing the first card you captured was the Vision Card," Kero explained. "Because that may be our only means of finding the other cards."

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked.

Kero explained further. "The Vision Card has the power to see beyond what is visible, but not only that, it's linked to the other 19 cards. If you call upon Vision, it can show you where the other cards are."

"Then I'll call upon Vision," Sakura nodded. "Everybody stand back."

The other three stood back as Sakura took out the card she just captured.

"Vision! Show me the location of the next card! Release and dispel! Vision Card!"

Sakura opened her eyes to see she was in the midst of a vision. She was somewhere else…full of sand…a beach. She looked around to see where she was. Then she saw a sign right next to her.

**"Welcome to Belmar Beach."**

Sakura then kept on walking. She walked along the side of the beach, until she found another sign.

**"Welcome to Belmar, New Jersey."**

Sakura knew where she was. She looked back out at the beach. It was the Jersey Shore. And this was apparently the location of the next card. Sakura recalled the Vision Card and found herself back in Salem. Her friends looked at her anxiously.

"You…looked frozen, Sakura," Madison finally said.

"What did you see?" Li asked.

"The cards HAVE spread," Sakura said grimly. "The next one's in New Jersey…it's in the Jersey Shore."

Kero shook his head. "If that one's gone as far as New Jersey, then we have no time to waste. This is it, Sakura. You've caught the first of many. But now it's a chase. We'll probably have to travel a long way to seal all these…I don't know, Clow Reed never named them…we'll call them the American Cards."

"American Cards?" Sakura repeated.

"Rolls off the tongue, doesn't it?" Kero grinned. "But seriously, if the cards have spread, then we have to hurry and find them. Who knows what'll happen if they stay loose for too long?"

Sakura thought about that. If these American Cards were like the Clow Cards before them, then they could cause a lot of damage. She could hardly believe it. Suddenly, the fate of the United States was in her hands.

"So how do we get to New Jersey?" Meilin asked.

"We'd better arrange to take a bus," Sakura sighed.

Madison sighed, too. "I just hope no one asks why I spent so much in 'Hong Kong'."

Sakura was hit with a lot tonight. Capturing 24 more cards seemed like a tough task that would likely take weeks. How could she tell Tori? How could she possibly catch up when she got back to school?

Sakura looked at the bright side, though. The Jersey Shore. Maybe she could find some time to go for a swim.

  


Any comments? Then mail me at AmericanCaptor@hotmail.com and don't forget to review below.


	4. New Jersey

Author's Note: The next card is in the Jersey Shore. And the weather's unusually hot. But what's come up that could make Cardcaptoring a little harder this time around?

  


Cards captured so far: Vision

  


**CCS: The American Cards: Part 4**

  


That night, everyone found their way to the bus that would take them to New Jersey. With two- seated rows, Sakura found herself next to Madison while Meilin took the seat next to Li. As much as Sakura would usually object to that arrangement, she had a little business with her best friend at that moment. Not only did she need her phone to check in with Tori, but she also wanted to see the costume Madison made for her. She hoped the costume she had for the next capture was a lot better (or more comfortable) than the last one.

It wasn't until halfway through the trip that Sakura decided to look through her luggage again. Somehow, Sakura could feel that Madison had something else in store for her. She could also tell by the nervous bead of sweat on her forehead when Sakura started reaching for the suitcase.

"Uh…Sakura…what could you possibly be looking for in there?"

Sakura ignored her and opened the suitcase anyway. The first thing she saw was a red baseball cap. It didn't look bad so far. She looked through the rest of it and found…a baseball uniform. It brought back memories for Sakura. It was just like the one she wore when she went after the Dash Card eight years ago. Of course, she never actually used it in battle.

But Sakura had to point one thing out. "Isn't this a little out of season?"

"What do you mean?"

"Baseball season in this country ended two months ago," Sakura grinned.

"Well…maybe it won't matter," Madison tried saying. "I just don't want to waste my best ideas yet. There's still a lot to go, isn't there?"

"Unfortunately," Sakura frowned. "19. They could all be anywhere."

This was so complicated already. A week ago, she was getting ready to enjoy her Christmas break, which was coming next week. Now Sakura found herself halfway around the world trying to find a new book of cards, a set Kero dubbed 'The American Cards'. And already, they had spread beyond Salem, where Sakura first found the book.

Now it was up to her to find them all. Thanks to the help of the Vision Card, she knew where the next one was. The next American Card is in the Jersey Shore.

"So what are we looking for?" Madison asked.

"A place called Belmar Beach in the Jersey Shore," Sakura answered. "I just hope it's not busy this time of year."

Madison looked at her strangely. "Uh…it's December. Who goes to the beach in December?"

Sakura hadn't thought of that. What was she thinking? Was her mind so out of it that she was forgetting her common sense? What made her think she could have a day at the beach at this time of year?

* * *

"Is it me, or is it just really hot out here?"

Sakura looked up and saw the blazing sun shine down on Belmar Beach. Meilin was right. It was unusually hot. It had to be about a hundred degrees…in December. By all means, it should have been freezing.

"Well, at least there should be nobody here," Sakura smirked.

She walked onto the beach and began to feel frustrated. It looked like she was off on this one. The beach was full. And with the weather being this hot, she could hardly blame the people. But this that finding the card would be a lot more difficult…or would have to wait.

"I'm thinking we should wait until tonight," Li said, echoing Sakura's thoughts.

"I don't get it, though," Meilin added. "Who goes to the beach in December? Honestly!"

"I…have to agree with Meilin," Madison said frankly. "Even with the weather being this hot, there can't be THIS many people out, can there?"

Just then, another voice sounded from behind them.

"It's really gotten hot out here, and maybe it's a good thing. It's perfect weather for a day on the beach. It's a really good day to be out here, but I think people would be out here either way for such a rare occasion like tonight. Let's see if we can get a word with some of the people here. How about you four?"

Sakura and her three friends suddenly turned around to see a TV camera pointing right at them. A camera crew stood behind the camera. There was also someone in a black shirt and khakis holding a microphone towards them.

No one said anything. It was Li who broke the silence. "Uh…what?"

"You four ready for tonight?" the guy asked.

"Uh…what's tonight?" Sakura asked.

The man looked at them strangely. "You…don't know what tonight is. You haven't heard?"

"Who are you?" Li asked.

The crew behind the cameraman had their mouths drop open at that question. Then they started murmuring amongst themselves. Even the guy, himself, couldn't believe it.

"You…don't know who I am?"

Somehow, Sakura sensed this would be awkward if she didn't say anything. "Uh…we're tourists! We're…not from around here. We're from REALLY far away."

"Oh, that explains it," the guy said with some uncertainty. "Well, I'm Carson Daly and you're on MTV."

The look on Li at that moment was indescribable. He was petrified. He didn't know what to say.

"…MTV? Uh…can we cut the camera off really quick?"

"Well, I'd love to do that," Carson chuckled. "But we're LIVE from the Jersey Shore for this MTV special."

"L-L-Live?" Li squeaked. He was definitely in an embarrassing situation. He was frozen.

So Meilin raised his arm and started waving it. "Don't just stand there, Li. You're on TV! Say something!"

Li tried to, but he could only get a half-smile and a nervous chuckle. Sakura was glad that none of them were from around here. At least nobody in Japan had to know about this.

She looked up at Carson Daly. "Um…this might be a really dumb question, but…?" She then looked at Li who was still in his trance. "Well, it's not like this hasn't already been embarrassing. So anyway, what's tonight?"

Carson turned around and looked at the camera. "Well, you can learn about it as we remind everyone to tune in tonight at 10, right here on MTV, as No Doubt and The Offspring give a surprise free concert live from the Jersey Shore."

"Free concert?!" Sakura beamed. "Tonight?!"

"That's right," Carson told the camera. "Tonight at 10 live from the Jersey Shore. Will you be there?"

"You bet!" Sakura said cheerfully. "I wouldn't miss it!"

Sakura suddenly heard someone clear his throat from her pocket.

"What was that?" Carson asked.

Sakura thought fast and ran over to Li. "Uh…it's my boyfriend."

Meilin took offense to that. "Your WHAT?"

"You heard me," Sakura scowled. "My boyfriend's…a ventriloquist. Aren't you, Li?"

Li just stood there, still nervous from having a camera staring him in the face.

"Do it again, Li," Sakura said sheepishly. "Tell the millions of people out there we'll be at the concert."

The voice sounded from her pocket again. "We'll see."

Sakura gave a stern look at her pocket. Of course, all the MTV people started looking at Sakura strangely. Madison tried to cover for her.

"Carson…you caught us at a bad time," Madison tried saying. "I'll just say we'll be there tonight…to see No Doubt and The Offspring…tonight at 10." She looked into the camera. "Right here on MTV."

"I'm supposed to say that," Carson whispered. He cleared his throat and looked back at the camera. "So don't miss it, tonight. When we come back, we'll see if we can talk to some of the other people here on the Jersey Shore and Kurt Loder gets an exclusive interview with No Doubt's Gwen Stefani. You'll definitely want to stay tuned for that, and we'll be right back from the Jersey Shore, here on MTV."

"Ok, we're clear…finally! I can't believe out of all the people here, we drew foreigners."

"Hey, I didn't think it was so bad," Carson said. "I think it came out pretty good." He turned to Sakura. "Don't listen to him. He didn't have his cup of coffee today. You came out great!"

"You really think so?" Sakura asked.

"You didn't look any worse than most of the people we pull of the streets," Carson replied.

"That's not saying much, Carson!" someone blurted out.

Carson shook his head. "Come on, I'm trying to make these four feel better. I mean, don't you think they could use it? Look at this guy over here. He's still frozen."

Sakura glanced over to see that Li was still petrified with his half-smile. He must not have heard the cameras were off. She walked over to him.

"Ok, Li," Sakura said dryly. "The cameras are off now. Snap out of it!"

Nothing. He was still motionless looking at the camera.

"I'll leave you two alone," Carson finally said. "I have to go back to doing this special. Enjoy the concert."

As Carson Daly and the camera crew walked out, Sakura waved her arm. "We will!"

"No you won't!"

Sakura's happy expression turned sour when she heard that voice. "Kero! Can't you keep your mouth shut?! That could have been embarrassing!"

"Well, I couldn't help it!" Kero said sternly from Sakura's pocket. "Have you forgotten why we're here, Sakura?"

"I haven't forgotten," Sakura retorted. "It's just that…"

"You can't get distracted, Sakura!" Kero cut her off. "You have to be focused on the task at hand! We didn't come here for a vacation! We came to seal the American Cards!"

"I realize that," Sakura said, with gritted teeth. "But I just want to make the best of a bad situation. As long as I'm here, I might as well take advantage of it."

"You can take advantage of it, AFTER you seal the American Cards!"

"Fine," Sakura huffed. "But we can't do anything right now. So let's just find a hotel room. Let's go, Li. …Li?"

Sakura slapped her head in frustration. Li was still in that stoic trance. She stomped over towards him and slapped him in the back of the head.

"SNAP OUT OF IT!!"

"Are we still live?" Li asked stupidly. He looked around and shed a bead of sweat. "I…wasn't like that the whole time, was I?"

"Oh, you were," Sakura answered. "Now let's get going. I need to cool off in a hotel room for a while. It's still scorching out here."

In all that time, the heat hadn't let up. It was still extremely hot for any day of the year, never mind a December day. In fact, it started to give Sakura an idea.

* * *

"You finally figured it out?"

"Yes, Li," Sakura sighed. "I think I know what card it is."

The way Li asked her that question made it sound like he knew the whole time. Of course, Sakura wasn't surprised. Even in all the years she had done this, she still knew that Li knew so much more than her.

Sakura was ready to confirm her suspicions as they all made their way back to Belmar Beach. Night had fallen, but the weather was still scorching hot. She knew it couldn't be a natural occurrence. She suspected an American Card.

When the four reached Belmar Beach, they found literally no walking room. The entire beach was packed from the parking lot to the stage set up on the beach. Everyone was here to see the free concert.

"This won't be easy," Li muttered.

"Is anything ever easy?" Sakura pointed out.

"Let's do this quick," Kero piped up. "Somebody use the Lasin Board."

Li took the Lasin Board out. "Force, know my plight! Release the light!"

Unfortunately, the light from the Lasin Board didn't point away from the crowd. Even worse, it pointed far into the crowd. Sakura couldn't see where it led. Kero decided to solve that problem by flying up in the air.

"Won't someone see you?" Sakura asked.

"They'll probably think I'm a balloon or something," Kero scoffed. "From up here, they'll never notice."

Kero flew up in the air and floated above the light, slowly following it until he was beyond sight.

"Where do you think it leads?" Madison asked.

"Into the crowd," Meilin chimed in. "Does it get any worse than that?"

Kero suddenly came back with the answer. "The light leads…right behind the curtain. The card's backstage."

Sakura groaned. "That's just great. I knew this wouldn't be easy. I guess we'll have to use a diversion. Somebody will have to distract security while I go in there."

"Who are you going to get to do that, Avalon?" Meilin asked.

Sakura gave off a mischievous smirk as she looked right at Meilin.

Meilin glared back at her. "You think I'll be able to distract them all by myself?"

"I don't think you can," Li suddenly said. "That's why you'll need some help. I think Madison and I should help you out on this one. You can handle this yourself, right Sakura?"

Sakura felt a little nervous. "I…guess so."

"Eh, don't worry about it," Kero said casually. "You'll still have me."

"Oh that's a confidence booster," Li said dryly.

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that," Kero mumbled. "Let's get going."

Sakura sighed as she braced herself for the tough task of going through the entire crowd. Of course, as inconspicuous as she wanted to be, she knew it wouldn't happen. Like a crowd of people couldn't notice a girl in a baseball uniform, a boy and girl in ceremonial robes, and another girl holding a video camera. What was she thinking?

* * *

Sakura didn't exactly avoid everyone like she hoped. There were the occasional stares and the murmuring of the crowd, but at least she got passed it all. Now she was standing by the stage, where there were dozens and dozens of security guards.

"Well, are we ready?" Sakura asked.

"Are you sure this is going to work, Avalon?" Meilin asked. "They wouldn't send ALL of security after us, would they?"

As much as Sakura hated to admit it, she was right. There would still be at least one security guard remaining. They wouldn't send them all after Li, Madison, and Meilin. But unless a miracle happened, then there were no other alternatives.

"Hey…aren't you the four I saw earlier?"

Sakura turned around at the sudden call and found a familiar face. Again, Carson Daly had run into them.

"Yeah…that's us," Sakura said slowly. "I didn't think you'd remember us."

"Well, I was sort of hoping to find you here," Carson said. "I have to make this quick. I still have to go cover the concert, but I wanted to leave you guys something."

Carson took something out of his shirt pocket and handed them to Sakura. She saw that her miracle had happened. They were four backstage passes.

"Thank you," Sakura smiled. "But…why give these to us?"

"I felt kind of bad for earlier," Carson confessed. "I told them we shouldn't have done that sort of thing live, but they didn't listen. To be honest, you guys didn't look as good as I said you did. So I decided to make it up to you."

"Thank you," Sakura said again. "You have no idea how much we've wanted something like this."

"Don't mention it," Carson said. "Actually, I still have a few more pairs to give out. But before I go, can I ask you guys a question?"

"Sure."

"Don't take this the wrong way, but…are you really going to the concert dressed like that?"

Sakura chuckled nervously. "This is…uh…well…I'm going to change later. I wouldn't think of wearing this to the concert."

"Ok, then. Enjoy the concert," Carson said, as he walked off. "Oh, and welcome to America!"

Sakura still had a smile on her face as she turned to Li. "I'm starting to wonder if all the stories we've heard about Americans have been exaggerated."

"Maybe. Or maybe it's just him."

"Can we talk about the kindness of strangers later?" Kero growled from under Sakura's cap. "Let's just go!"

Sakura tried hold her cap on as she flashed her backstage pass. Once everyone was inside, she tried to sense where the card was. But it was harder than it looked. There were about 30 other people with backstage passes.

"I guess we weren't the only ones he got to," Meilin muttered.

Sakura knew that they couldn't risk using the Lasin Board in front of this many people. But Sakura saw she didn't have to. She looked up through the grated vent on the ceiling and saw something in there. She tapped Li on the shoulder and pointed at the giant golden chicken in the vents.

Li recognized it. "The Heat Card."

"I think I know how I can get it," Sakura said. "Come with me." She looked at Madison and Meilin. "You two…enjoy the backstage area. We'll be right back. This won't take long."

"We'll be waiting for you, Sakura," Madison smiled.

Meilin gave Sakura a stern gaze. "Don't get any ideas, Avalon. Just because you're alone with Li, doesn't mean I won't find out if anything happens."

Sakura shook her head and walked towards the bathroom and thought to herself, _'When is she going to get it?'_

Then she saw what she was looking for. There were the two public restrooms. Since these two bathrooms had a maximum occupancy of one, this should work perfectly.

When Li got there, Sakura began her explanation. "We'll each go into these bathrooms and crawl through the vents, looking for the Heat Card. I figure if we come from each side, we'll be able to trap it."

"Sounds good," Li admitted. "Let's go."

Li went into the men's room, while Sakura went into the ladies' room. Sakura stood on the toilet and loosened the tile on the ceiling. Before doing anything, she took out her key.

"Key of Clow. Power of Magic. Power of Light. Surrender the wand. The force ignite. Release!"

After doing that, she climbed into the vent with her wand in hand. But much to her dismay, she didn't see Li up there with her. She crawled over to the point where she could see the men's room below. She saw Li was still there.

"Sakura, I think there's something we didn't think about," Li said grimly.

"What's that?" Sakura asked.

"I'm too heavy. I don't fit inside the vent."

Sakura groaned. "Then I'll have to do this myself." She took out the Vision Card.

"Vision Card! Show me the Heat Card's location! Release and dispel! Vision!"

Sakura then saw what effect the Vision Card was having. She could literally see through the walls at that moment. Not only could she see where the Heat Card was, but she also saw another path through the vents she could take so she could surprise it from behind. Sakura crawled through that path until she was right behind the Heat Card. It didn't see her coming. It didn't have any idea Sakura was there…until she raised her wand.

**"BUCK-CAW!!!"**

Sakura started to hear a sizzling sound. The Heat Card tried to burn its way through the vent below it. Sakura knew she had to seal it fast.

"Return to your power confined! Heat Card!"

Before it could escape, the Heat Card was sealed. Sakura was ready to take it and leave, but she began to feel a creaking noise underneath her.

"That…doesn't sound good," she heard Kero say from under her hat.

Sakura concurred. She quickly crawled away from the creaking vent before it could fall apart. She was able to get out of there and go back to the ladies room. Now having sealed the Heat Card, she calmly walked out of the ladies room and met with Li.

"Should we get to the concert?" Sakura asked cheerfully.

Li smiled, something he didn't do much. "Let's go."

Holding hands, Sakura and Li walked back to the backstage area, but Sakura noticed that as she walked under the area she sealed the Heat Card, she could still hear that creaking sound. Then the vent gave way. The vent split apart and the two pieces fell to the ground. Everyone started murmuring amongst themselves as to how that could have happened.

Sakura gulped nervously. "Maybe…we should leave."

* * *

It was an hour since the concert ended, but Sakura felt like she was an ice cube. As soon as Sakura sealed the Heat Card, the weather went back to normal, and that meant rain. Despite the rain, the concert wasn't cancelled. No Doubt and The Offspring performed as scheduled. But Sakura wasn't dressed for cold weather that night. So when she got back to the hotel room, she took a hot shower, and then went to bed.

Of course, as everyone was downstairs finding something to eat, Sakura got to her feet. She knew she had to do one more thing before she went to sleep. She reached for her key.

"You're not doing that now, are you, Sakura?" Kero asked. "You should get some sleep."

"Well, I do need to find out where we're going next," Sakura replied.

She had to find out, and she preferred to do that before this night was over. To find out where she was going next, Sakura would have to use the Vision Card again.

  


Any comments? Then mail me at AmericanCaptor@hotmail.com and don't forget to review below.


	5. New York City

Author's Note: After the concert in the Jersey Shore, Sakura used the Vision Card to look for the next American Card. She found it in New York City.

  


Cards captured so far: Vision and Heat

  


**CCS: The American Cards: Part 5**

  


Sakura groaned as she hung up the phone. It was still a big argument every time she checked in with Tori. And she knew that with every American Card she sealed, it meant coming one step closer to going home…and getting grounded for life. That was a long way from now, though. Sakura was barely on the bus to New York City right now.

"Arguing with Tori again?" Madison asked as she took her phone back.

"Unfortunately," Sakura sighed as she handed it back to her. "I've told him over and over that I'll explain this to him when I get back, but he won't listen to me. Why is he being like this, Madison?"

"Maybe it's the shock of seeing his little sister go overseas," Madison tried answering. "Maybe it's the fact that his little sister lied to him about going overseas. Maybe it's the fact that his little sister has gone overseas…and won't be spending the holidays with her family."

Sakura sulked. "Who asked you?"

"Sakura…" Madison sighed. "I know it doesn't sound like it, but Tori misses you. He wishes you were home for the holidays."

"Don't you think I want that?" Sakura pointed out. "But it's not exactly my choice here. I didn't ask to capture cards overseas for Christmas. What can I do?"

"I don't know what we can do," Madison said sadly. "I think the only thing we can do is just call them over the phone and tell them…Merry Christmas."

Sakura felt depressed. Christmas Day was coming closer every day and for the first time in her life, she wouldn't be spending it with her family. Maybe that's what had Tori so frustrated. Looking out the bus window didn't help, either. The New York City streets were filled with Christmas decorations.

The only thing that could comfort her was the fact that she was surrounded by those who loved her. She knew what she had to do, though. She didn't sense an American Card just yet, but Sakura had a feeling she would soon enough.

* * *

Sakura sat on the hotel bed, looking at the first two cards she captured. She looked closely at the Vision Card and the Heat Card. They were the first two of many. She thought about how she would go about looking for the next card. Sakura had heard so many stories about New York City.

"You feeling ok?"

Sakura looked up to see that Li had joined her. She was glad he was here. She knew that she couldn't do this without him. Not only that, but she was glad to be spending Christmas with him.

"I'm fine," Sakura sighed. "I'm just thinking about what we're going to do. We can't just use the Lasin Board out in public, can we?"

"I doubt it," Li shook his head. "But maybe we don't need to. What did you see when you used the Vision Card?"

Sakura thought hard. "I…can barely remember. All I recall seeing was a big skyscraper."

"That doesn't narrow it down," Li said grimly. "Can you remember anything else?"

Sakura closed her eyes and tried to concentrate. She couldn't think of anything.

"Do you need to use Vision again, Sakura?" Kero asked.

"No," Sakura snapped. "I can remember." She knew if she couldn't see this, she couldn't go much farther as a Cardcaptor. She tried to look back, but then she remembered one more detail. "I remember seeing a huge Christmas tree. It was the biggest one I'd ever seen."

"Big Christmas tree, huh?" Kero pondered. "It gives us an idea of what to look for."

"But we could be looking for a while," Li added. "New York City is one of the biggest cities in the world. It could take us all night."

Sakura sighed again. "I just hope Madison has cab fare."

* * *

That night, everyone was waiting by the street corner waiting for a taxi. It would be a long wait, since this WAS New York. But hopefully, this taxi could take them around the city where Sakura could find that giant Christmas tree. She tried sensing the card from the corner, but felt nothing. Sakura had trouble sensing the American Cards, which was clearly starting to frustrate her. Of course, she knew she had to feel something sooner or later.

Then a taxi looked like it was finally coming. Sakura and Meilin tried waving their arms.

"TAXI!!"

The taxi didn't stop. Instead, it just passed them by, driving over a puddle and leaving Sakura and Meilin drenched.

"JERK!!!" Meilin shouted towards the passing cab.

"I don't get it," Sakura coughed. "Why didn't he stop?"

"Maybe those stories we heard about Americans were true," Li guessed.

"Well, here comes another one," Madison pointed. "Maybe he'll stop for us."

"Let me try," Li said boldly.

Li then made a daring move. He walked onto the right lane of the busy street and stood in front of the incoming cab. The cab was coming fast, but managed to stop in time. Sakura cringed. She thought that taxicab would hit Li for sure. But when it didn't, she shook her head and got into the cab. To her surprise, when Li got into the taxi, the driver was clapping.

"Hey, that was pretty good," the driver said in his New York accent. "I've seen lots of people do that, but none like you. Especially a tourist."

"How'd you know we were tourists?" Li asked suspiciously.

"What, are ya kidding me?" the driver scoffed. He looked mockingly at Li's robes. "No American would dress like that…unless…hey, you ain't one of them Broadway people, are ya?"

"No."

"Then you MUST be a tourist," the driver continued. "Well then ya lucky ya caught me. None of them other cabbies here would give tourists like you the time of day. So where ya from?"

"We're from Japan," Sakura answered.

"Japan?" the driver repeated. "I know we get all kinds around New Years', but I ain't never seen no Japanese around here. Anyway, I'll be your driver. While some may call me da man, others call me da king, and some people just call me 'ya ravin lunatic', I prefer to be known as Pete from Red Hook. So where do ya wanna go?"

Sakura took a few seconds to absorb all this. It looks like they drew one of New York's more eccentric cabbies. But it didn't matter to her, as long as he took her where she wanted to go.

"Uh…can I ask you a question…Pete?" Sakura began.

"Shoot, kid," Pete said casually. "Meter's runnin, though."

"Do you know where I can find a giant Christmas tree?"

Pete let out a loud cackle. "Jeez, you guys MUST be foreigners. Everyone around these parts knows that the giant Christmas tree is the one in front of the Rockefeller Center. I'll get ya there right now…and because I'm such a nice guy…I'll even take a shortcut."

Pete's idea of a shortcut wasn't exactly the one Sakura hoped for. Driving insanely fast on a surface street, Pete drove in between traffic and tried to fit in any little gap provided for him. With no regard for the condition of the cab…or the passengers, Pete continued going as fast as he possibly could. At one point, he passed right through a changing traffic light, narrowly missing a bus. Sakura's heart was beating a mile a minute.

Pete looked back at the rare occasion he stopped for a red light. "Nervous? Don't be. I been doin this for years. I haven't crashed once…except for that one close call I had."

"You think that bus wasn't a close call?!" Meilin snapped. "You're crazy!!"

"Hey, I'm getting you there quick, ain't I?" Pete shot back nonchalantly. "Oh, there goes the green light."

The tires screeched as Pete stepped on the gas. He continued driving erratically through narrow gaps until he reached Fifth Street. He took a sharp right turn and went straight until he reached the corner of Fifth and 49th Street. Sakura looked out the cab window. That's when she saw it. It was the enormous tree she saw when she used the Vision Card.

"There it is," Pete announced. "The big Christmas tree. Big tourist attraction. Standing 80 feet tall. Surrounded by the big ice rink. It don't get any better."

"T-Thanks," Sakura said, a little distracted. Everyone was quick to get out of the cab, still shaken by the bumpy ride.

The taxi left after Pete got his fare. Sakura just looked up in awe at the big Christmas tree. She had never seen anything like it. The lights shimmered from the tree like…Sakura glanced at Li…the lights sparkled like his eyes in the night. It was quite a sight.

"It's beautiful," she finally said.

The spectacle of seeing the big tree soon wore off, though. Sakura finally began to sense it. She sensed an American Card.

"It's here."

"How do we get it?" Meilin asked. "There are people everywhere."

Sakura knew she was right. This would be hard to do with so many people around.

"I don't think we'll be able to do this until tonight when this area's closed off," Li finally said. "What should we do in the meantime?"

Sakura had an idea to pass the time, but to get that off, she winked at her friend, Madison.

Madison took the hint. "Uh…Meilin? Can you come with me to buy a new battery for my camera?"

"I…don't see why not," Meilin replied. "Can't leave you alone in a place like this." She looked warningly at Sakura. "Don't…get any ideas."

Sakura grinned. "Oh, I won't."

As soon as Madison and Meilin walked off, Sakura took Li's hand. She looked deep into his eyes.

"It's a nice night for ice skating."

* * *

It was about one in the morning, but the Rockefeller Center had finally been closed off. The only ones there were Madison, Meilin, Li, and Sakura…and of course, Kero. Sakura looked at herself again. She looked at much the red dress with the thick shoulder pads that Madison made for her. While it did look great with the Santa hat, Sakura was shivering. Her legs were freezing.

"I can feel it," Kero finally said. "There's something not right about that Christmas tree."

"You mean other than trees aren't supposed to come that big?" Meilin pointed out.

"Besides that," Li shook his head. He pulled out the Lasin Board. "There might be something inside that tree. Force, know my plight! Release the light!" The Lasin Board pointed right at the giant tree. "It's in that tree somewhere."

"I'll check it out," Sakura nodded. "You guys…stay back here."

"Are you sure, Sakura?" Li asked. "I can come with you."

"It's ok, Li," Sakura said assuredly. "Just stay back here in case I need help."

Sakura slowly walked up to the tree, with Kero tucked under her Santa hat. She tried to piece together what card it could possibly be. There were no unusual changes in the atmosphere, so it could've been anyone's guess. As she stood in front of the tree, she took out her key.

"Key of Clow. Power of Magic. Power of Light. Surrender the wand. The force ignite. Release!"

Sakura boldly stood in front of the tree with her wand in hand. Nothing was coming out…yet. Sakura hoped to find out what card it was and she had an idea how she could do that.

"Vision Card! Show me my adversary! Release and dispel! Vision Card!"

A projection appeared before Sakura, but it wasn't anything she hadn't already seen. The projection was of the Christmas tree in front of her. She couldn't understand this.

Kero tried to spell it out for her. "Maybe…the card is IN the tree. It probably has some plant-like qualities."

Sakura cautiously approached the tree. She then reached out and grabbed one of the tree's lovely branches. That's when something inside the tree grabbed her wrist. It was a big green stalk. Another stalk reached out and grabbed Sakura's other wrist, making her drop her wand. Sakura struggled as the vines tried to pull her in.

"Sakura!"

Li had seen enough. He came running up to the tree with his sword drawn. He swung his sword and sliced the vines, releasing their grip on Sakura. Sakura picked her wand up off the ground and looked back at the tree.

"Now I get it!" Sakura exclaimed. "It's the Vine Card!"

"It was camouflaged the whole time," Li added. He looked at Sakura. "I have an idea. Get your wand ready."

In a bold move, Li took a step back, but then ran forward and jumped right into the Christmas tree.

"LI!!"

Sakura couldn't stop him. Li was already inside the tree and Sakura could see the big 80 foot tree starting to shake from inside. There must've been some wicked battle going on in there. Then Sakura saw a big vine try to throw Li out. But as Li flew out, he took the vine with it. By the time Li landed, he had brought the Vine Card out with him. The Vine Card was a big green cloak, with vines coming out from inside, and had big red eyes. It almost reminded Sakura of the Shadow Card she faced eight years ago, when she was just getting started as a Cardcaptor.

The Vine Card started approaching towards Li, so it never saw Sakura coming. She ran up behind it and held out her wand.

"Vine Card! Return to your power confined! Vine Card!"

The Vine Card turned around, but it was too late. Sakura had it sealed in its card. Sakura's next instinct was to go check on Li. He had taken a bad fall from being thrown out of the Christmas tree. She turned around, but much to her frustration, she saw Meilin tending to him.

* * *

For a moment, Li didn't know where he was. The Vine Card threw him down hard. Then he felt a friendly hand on his own. Of course, it wasn't the friendly hand he had in mind. It was Meilin.

"Li? Are you all right? Talk to me."

Sakura, clearly trying to withhold her anger, approached Li.

"Back off, Avalon! I'm checking on him."

"Oh, no you're not!" Sakura shot back. "He's MY boyfriend! I'll check on him!"

"Excuse me?!" Meilin demanded. "He's your WHAT?"

"You heard me!!" Sakura shouted. "He loves ME! Get over it!"

Li sighed. This was nothing new. It had been this way ever since Meilin came back. Li couldn't deny the kindness of her decision to back up Li in his decision to openly defy his family's order to return to Hong Kong. But he knew she had an ulterior motive. She also tried desperately to win his affections. Since then, Sakura had become rather insecure and very defensive of her relationship. She and Meilin had often been at each other's throats and Li was often caught in the middle.

Li's wanted to tell Meilin that she has no chance. He's wanted to tell her that he loves Sakura, but he hasn't been able to. He couldn't stand the thought of hurting her feelings like that. Of course, he'd have to soon. It was obvious that situations like this couldn't continue. Besides, Li was hurt and Sakura and Meilin were still arguing. Luckily, he saw a hand reach out to him. Madison helped get Li to his feet.

"Are you ok?" she asked.

"I'll be fine," Li responded. "Somebody should tell them, though."

He looked at Sakura and Meilin who were still arguing.

"I'll check on him!!"

"No, I'll check on him!!"

Li figured he'd just wait it out. They couldn't argue like this forever. In the meantime, he could think about what could happen next. It was clear that despite the fact that this was an incomplete book, the American Cards that DID get completed are very powerful. There were still 17 American Cards remaining and if one like the Vine Card could stay hidden within something as harmless as a giant Christmas tree, then there could be a lot of trouble.

He could only wonder where the next one was.

  


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	6. Philadelphia

Author's Note: It's back to the bus as our heroes continue cross-country to find the American Cards. So what did the Vision Card show Sakura last time? She saw…

  


Cards captured so far: Vision, Heat, and Vine

  


**CCS: The American Cards: Part 6**

  


Sakura looked out the window again. It had been a long trip so far, but she knew she would arrive soon enough. The night before, when she had finished arguing with Meilin, she used the Vision Card to show her the location of the next card. The place she saw was Philadelphia.

"What else did you see, Sakura?"

So far, Sakura had given a lot of details about what she saw to Madison. She told her about the sign she saw that told her she was in Philadelphia. And she remembered telling her about the crowd of people she saw in the daytime.

"That big building I saw," Sakura recalled. "It looked…really old. I remember it had a giant steeple at the top, like the old clock tower back home."

"Before we destroyed it?" Kero muttered from Sakura's pocket.

"A lot like that," Sakura nodded. "There was a sign there that said 'Independence Hall'."

"Independence Hall?" Madison repeated. "That's a big historical site. It's where the American colonies declared their independence over 200 years ago."

"There's an American Card in there?" Sakura pondered. "What could it possibly be?"

Sakura tried to think about that, before she remembered one thing.

"Can I borrow your phone, Madison? It's time to check in on Tori."

* * *

When they all got to Philadelphia, Sakura came up with an idea. If Independence Hall was such a historical site, then it had to be a big tourist attraction. So Sakura came up with the idea of taking a tour. While on the tour, Sakura would try to sense the card and hopefully seal it.

So when they got to Philadelphia, they went to the hotel to drop their luggage off and got a change of clothes. When they got to Independence National Historical Park in downtown Philadelphia, they were decked out in their respective thick coats. The only difference was Sakura, who was still in her Santa hat, but otherwise, they all blended in perfectly with the crowd. It was a relief from having every single person point at them and call them a tourist.

Just then, someone in a red vest came out. It was the tour guide. "Welcome to Independence Hall! When you walk inside, you will feel the history. This is where representatives of the American colonies planned their bold steps towards revolution. Now if you'll please follow me, we'll see the inside of Independence Hall…as it was 200 years ago."

The whole crowd was led inside. Sakura's mind wasn't in it, though. She was desperately trying to sense an American Card, but she wasn't sensing anything.

"This is where the Second Continental Congress often met…"

The tour guide went on as Sakura looked around. It did look like a big meeting place for colonists. The benches and the front stand still looked to be in good condition.

"…And of course, Independence Hall was known for holding the Liberty Bell. Of course, since it has been cracked twice, we no longer keep the Liberty Bell here…"

****DONG****

The tour guide looked around. "That's weird. Don't hear that very often."

Those words got Sakura's attention. This was apparently an unusual occurrence. So it had to be an American Card.

"Where did the sound come from?" Sakura whispered to Li.

"It came from up there."

Li pointed up at the ceiling. He must have been referring to the steeple up above Independence Hall. Whatever American Card was in Philadelphia had to be lurking up in the steeple somewhere. The only clue she had as to its identity, was that it made a deep dong sound.

"I'm guessing we're coming back tonight?" Madison asked from a distance.

Sakura nodded. It would all go down tonight.

* * *

That night, Sakura came back wearing what had to be one of Madison's most unusual costumes to date. The whole tour and the colonial theme had clearly gone to her head. Madison designed a colonial- style dress, which included the long skirt and black boots.

"Reminds me of my days on the farm," Sakura mocked with a bad English accent.

"It'd look a lot better if you could take that hat off," Madison pointed out.

Sakura pointed at the Santa hat on her head innocently. "What, this? It's Christmas time, Madison. Besides, what do you suggest I wear?"

Madison grinned. She took off Sakura's Santa hat and replaced with a white wig, just like the ones worn back in colonial times.

"Where did you get this?" Sakura asked dryly.

"The gift shop," Madison giggled. "See, now the outfit's complete."

"That wig makes you look pretty old, Avalon," Meilin pointed out.

Sakura shook her head and looked at Li. It looked like he was trying to hold something back. Something like...laughter.

"Well, spit it out!" Sakura snapped. "If you're going to say something, then just say it."

"Do you really want me to?" Li said in his best old lady voice (which wasn't that good). "Or do you just want me to get you your teeth?"

Sakura growled and looked back at Madison. "Was this the best wig they had?"

"Actually, it was the last wig they had," Madison answered. "But I still think it makes you look good."

"I guess it does set the mood," Sakura admitted. "Do you have the Lasin Board, Li?"

Li took out the Lasin Board. "Force, know my plight! Release the light!"

The Lasin Board pointed right at the steeple above Independence Hall, just as Sakura suspected. Independence Hall was empty now and there would be no better opportunity to find that card. She took out her key.

"Key of Clow. Power of Magic. Power of Light. Surrender the wand. The force ignite. Release!"

Sakura took her wand and walked to the back of Independence Hall. She knew one way to get to that tower. She took out the Vine Card.

"Vine Card! Make a path to the tower! Release and dispel! Vine Card!"

Sakura threw the card to the ground and let the Vine Card take effect. Vines rose out of the card and went all the way up to the very top of the steeple. Sakura tugged on the vines. They were very sturdy and she should be able to climb them easily. But as she gripped one of the vines, she looked at her friends.

"Coming?"

"We'll catch up," Li answered. "Go on ahead."

Sakura looked back up. With Kero at her side, Sakura started her long climb up Independence Hall. As she got closer to the top, she could hear the ringing and dinging coming from the tower. When she looked over the tower ledge, she could see the empty space where the Liberty Bell used to be.

Sakura climbed over and ran to the empty space. As she got there, the dinging started getting louder. They varied from tone, high and low, but they were slowly getting louder.

Sakura tried to piece it together. "It's…the…Bell Card?"

"You got it," Kero replied. "It's the Bell Card!"

Sakura had one question. What could bells possibly do? Then she remembered the damage they could cause. She remembered the Maze Card from eight years ago and the ringing from Miss Mackenzie's instrument…that sounded a lot like a bell. It started coming back to her as the tolling from the bells started to take effect. Pieces of the walls started coming down.

"Looks like this place is ready to come apart," Kero said.

"It can't come apart!" Sakura shouted. "It's a historical landmark!"

"Then you'd better do something!" Kero suggested.

Sakura pulled out the Vision Card.

"Vision! Show me my enemy! Release and dispel! Vision Card!"

The Vision Card created a projection and Sakura could see the Bell Card. It looked like a woman in a cloak made of bells. It was floating up by the hook that once held up the Liberty Bell. Sakura tried to silence it by jumping for it. She brought the Bell Card down by its legs and it momentarily stopped tolling.

The Bell Card spread its arms out and got ready to start ringing again, so Sakura knew she had to work fast. But she couldn't use the Vine Card, it was still using its power on the wall and her friends hadn't finished climbing up yet. Sakura knew only one thing she could do. As the Bell Card began to ring again, Sakura tackled it and they both fell over the edge of the tower. The Bell Card was hanging on the ledge with both hands. Sakura was dangling over the ledge, holding on for dear life with her right hand. But her wand was in her left hand, which gave her the chance she needed.

"Bell Card! Return to your power confined! Bell Card!"

One problem was solved. The Bell Card had been sealed. But Sakura was still handing to the ledge. Luckily, that's when help arrived. Li finally got over to her and pulled her up.

Sakura gasped and looked back over the edge. She was inches from falling to her death. Then she looked back at Li.

"W…What kept you?"

Li turned the tables on her. "Why'd you seal the card without waiting for me?"

Sakura quickly gave up. "Never mind. At least we did this quick. The night's still young." Sakura looked out of the steeple and into the sky. "The view's just beautiful from up here." She started to inch her way towards Li…before…

"It really is beautiful, isn't it, Li?"

Much to Sakura's chagrin, Meilin had also successfully made the climb up and she was already standing next to Li. Sakura was a little too tired to start an argument now. But she did walk up to Li and took Li's arm…with a little emphasis.

Sakura heard Li sigh. She imagined this was starting to wear thin on him, too. But if it did, then why wasn't he saying anything?

* * *

A few hours passed and Sakura was still up on the Independence Hall steeple. She still had a firm grip on Li's arm and Meilin had a firm grip on the other one. Li just stood there, distracted by the view. Sakura wished this night could go on, but she was soon brought back to reality.

"When do you think she's going to get around to finding the next card?" she suddenly heard Kero blurt out.

"You mean you can't let her have this moment?" she heard Madison reply. "Look at them. They're a perfect…threesome."

Sakura and Meilin glared at each other. They weren't willing to give Li up. But Sakura let go…only so she could look for the next American Card.

"I can take a hint," she muttered towards Kero. She pulled out the Vision Card. "Vision! Release!"

A light flashed in front of Sakura and it momentarily blinded her. When Sakura opened her eyes, she could see daylight. Then she looked around her to see she was on a large lawn. A gate spanning seemingly all the way across the street was in front of her. A plaque was on the gate, but the address was printed on the other side, so Sakura couldn't see it.

But when Sakura turned around, she saw that the address plaque wasn't necessary. She knew exactly where she was and it shocked her to find out. The big building was just like the one she had studied in her World History class. Sakura could hardly believe it. It was the White House. Then the vision faded and Sakura was back in Independence Hall. She looked to see her three friends waiting anxiously.

"That's still so creepy to see," Madison said softly. "To see you completely out of it like that."

"What'd you see?" Kero asked.

Sakura didn't know how to begin. She wondered how her friends would react to the fact that the next American Card is in Washington D.C. Not only that, but how would they react to knowing that the next card dwelled somewhere in the White House?

  


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	7. Washington DC and the White House

Author's Note: That's right. The next American Card is in the nation's capital of Washington D.C. But which card could get into 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue?

  


Cards captured so far: Vision, Heat, Vine, and Bell

  


**CCS: The American Cards: Part 7**

  


Five minutes. It had been five minutes since Sakura got into her hotel room in Washington D.C., and already she plopped down onto her hotel bed. She groaned in frustration. This was probably going to be her hardest task to date. At least Madison was there to listen to her.

"Something troubling you, Sakura?" Madison asked.

Sakura nodded. "The White House, Madison. I still don't know how I'm going to pull this off. Do you have any idea how tight security is over there?"

"Actually, I don't," Kero suddenly piped up. "It's nothing harder than anything we've faced before, is it?"

"Yes, it is," Sakura responded. "Haven't you ever heard of the Secret Service?"

"The Secret Service protects the White House and the President of the United States," Madison added. "And they do it by any means necessary. Even if it means…killing."

"Wait a minute," Sakura corrected. "I thought it was that other organization that kills anybody. What's it called?"

"You probably mean the CIA," Madison guessed. "Our World History class describes certain incidents where some world figures have been found dead. Nobody's proven who killed them, but CIA is always suspected. But they wouldn't be around the White House, would they?"

"I hope not," Sakura moaned. "Why did an American Card have to hide out in the White House? I could end up getting killed."

"Calm down, Sakura," Kero said. "I'll admit, from what you're telling me, this definitely won't be easy, but you can do it. What do you have planned so far?"

Silence.

"Sakura…you DO have a plan, don't you?"

Sakura hung her head down. "I don't. I have no idea how I'm going about this."

Kero floated above the bed and thought about this. "You obviously can't break in at night. Secret Service would shoot you on sight."

Sakura cringed at that thought. Her last few American Cards, she would wait until late night to strike. But if she did that this time, then they'd kill her. She had to find another way.

"We can always go on the White House tour," Madison suggested. "The trouble with that is, if we're caught in the wrong place, we could get arrested."

"Being foreigners doesn't help things, either," Kero added. "Imagine if Secret Service caught a Japanese girl snooping around the White House. Don't you think they'd get some ideas?"

Sakura gulped. "We'd cause an international incident. What would my family think of that? My dad doesn't even know I'm here."

"Then you're going to have to pinpoint the card's exact location beforehand," Kero told her. "You're either going to have to use the Lasin Board or the Vision Card. You can't slip up, Sakura. If you do, then I don't even want to think of what'll happen."

Sakura thought about it. If she got caught, she'd likely be arrested and deported. Aside from the obvious grounding she'd be in when she got back, there would be no way for her to seal the rest of the American Cards. She had to get this right the first time around.

* * *

They all got there early. Luckily, Madison found out about the self-guided tours available early Saturday. So Sakura went looking through the White House at her own pace.

"We're lucky we came this early," Madison pointed out.

"Why's that?" Sakura asked.

"All tours have been cancelled for next week," Madison answered. "They're canceling all tours until they inaugurate the next President of the United States."

"You mean that election's finally over?" Meilin asked.

"I guess so," Li guessed. "Looks like they finally decided on one."

Sakura couldn't understand how a presidential election could get out of hand, but it didn't matter to her at that moment. She just wanted to find that card. So she went to the next part of their tour, the Blue Room. Just as the other rooms, it was empty with the exception of one Secret Service agent.

"Are we the only ones here?" Meilin finally asked.

"Must…not be a popular place today," Li tried answering. "Why IS the White House so empty today?"

"Even Pennsylvania Avenue was empty," Madison added. "And wasn't our hotel pretty lifeless, too?"

"Getting some ideas, Sakura?" Kero asked from under Sakura's Santa hat.

"Will you hush?" Sakura snapped. "What if they hear you?"

"Who?" Kero shot back. "Sleeping Beauty over there?"

Sakura looked over at the door and saw that the Secret Service agent had fallen asleep. Not only that, but he was snoring loudly.

"That's weird," Sakura finally said. "Why would he just fall asleep like that? Madison? …Madison?"

Sakura turned around to see that Madison and Meilin had also fallen asleep. Then she began to sense something. This was the work of an American Card. Her suspicions were confirmed when she thought about the fact that everyone had fallen asleep except her and Li.

"It's here somewhere," Sakura said. "Li, use the Lasin Board."

Li took out the Lasin Board. "Force, know my plight! Release the light!"

The Lasin Board pointed outside the Blue Room. Sakura and Li ran out of the Blue Room and saw that everyone behind that door had also fallen asleep. Sakura and Li spent several minutes looking through the White House, following the light of the Lasin Board. Then the light pointed to a big set of double doors that were heavily guarded...by sleeping Secret Service agents.

"What do you suppose is back there?" Li asked.

"Only one way to find out," Kero answered.

Sakura took a deep breath and went through the door. Then she gasped when she realized where she was.

"It's…the Oval Office."

Somehow, they had stumbled on the big room where the President of the United States conducted his business. It was a good thing everyone was asleep. If not, it could have been a bad situation.

Sakura then cautiously approached the big chair behind the wooden desk. The chair was facing away from her. When she reached for the chair to turn it around, she expected to see a sleeping President. Instead, when she turned it around, she found a huge anteater. It got up from its chair and stood on two legs. This had to be what Sakura was looking for.

"It's you isn't it?" Sakura demanded. "You're…the Sleep Card!" Sakura reached for her key. "Key of Clow. Power of Magic. Power of Light. Surrender the wand. The force ignite. Release!" Sakura was ready to strike, but Li held her back.

"You can't do anything here, Sakura," he pointed out. "What if we break something?"

Of course, the Sleep Card made it too late to prevent that. It jumped through the window, which spanned from the floor to the ceiling and led to the big White House garden. Sakura and Li gave chase, but the Sleep Card was pulling away fast. Things were turning bad. Since he had to pass himself off as a tourist, Li couldn't take his sword with him. So Sakura had to do this herself. She took out the Vine Card.

"Vine Card! Rise from the ground! Release and dispel! Vine Card!"

The ground shook and thick vines rose out. The vines wrapped themselves around the Sleep Card's legs and knocked it down.

"Good job," Li admitted. "Now seal it!"

Sakura reached back, but the Sleep Card wasn't finished. It waved its hands and started working its magic. It looked like it was going the extra mile to put Sakura and Li to sleep. She knew it couldn't happen. Sakura and Li possessed magic. They couldn't be knocked out.

Then Sakura's eyelids started to get heavy. She couldn't believe it, but it was actually working. She yawned heavily and was ready to fall over.

"Don't fall asleep, Sakura!" Kero shouted. "Stay awake! Uh…use the Bell Card!"

That sounded like a good idea. Sakura had nothing to lose, so she took out the Bell Card.

"Bell Card! Wake us up! Release and dispel! Bell Card!"

The Bell Card came out and rang very loudly in Sakura's ears. Nothing could sleep through this sound. The bells were loud enough to wake the dead. The Sleep Card knew this, too. It started trying to escape from the Vine Card's grip once it saw that its plan had failed. But it couldn't escape. Sakura, now wide-awake, approached the Sleep Card.

"Sleep Card! Return to your power confined! Sleep Card!"

As the Sleep Card was being sealed, Sakura couldn't help but think about what would happen now. Everyone was about to wake up and that meant the Secret Service would find a broken window in the Oval Office…and find Sakura and Li in the garden. As soon as the Sleep Card was sealed, she glanced at Li.

"We have to get out of here!"

"Well, the vines are still here," Li suggested. "Maybe they can give us a lift…but we'll have to be…HEY!!"

It looks like the Vine Card had read Li's mind…or Sakura's mind. The vines rose out of the ground and wrapped themselves around Li and Sakura. It lifted them up and over the White House gate. Sakura and Li were now standing on the Pennsylvania Avenue sidewalk. One good thing came out of this. At least they were out and they didn't have to go through the Oval Office where Secret Service was likely waiting. Sakura felt much better about gently being placed in the midst of the empty Pennsylvania Avenue. But then she thought of something else…

"Uh…Li? What about Madison and Meilin?"

Li seemingly didn't know what to say. "Um…I hope they can figure it out eventually. What should we do while we wait?"

Sakura had an idea. "We'll wait for them under…I don't know…say…the Washington Monument?"

"How will they know to find you there?" Kero suddenly asked. Sakura shot the guardian a glance. Kero sighed. "All right, I can take a hint. I'll let them know. You two just go ahead."

Sakura smiled at the thought of getting some alone time with Li. Holding hands, they walked down Pennsylvania Avenue. Maybe for a few minutes, she could enjoy being out here in the United States…with Li.

* * *

It was a long walk to 15th Street, but it gave Li some much-needed alone time with Sakura. It was a nice afternoon Li had under the Washington Monument. For at least an hour, Li got to be alone and romantic with Sakura. They engaged in a long kiss. He wished it could last, but he knew it couldn't. Especially when he felt something land on his head.

"Ugh…it still blows my mind every time I see this."

Li and Sakura parted their kiss. He didn't want it to end, but it looked like it would…for now.

"You have the worst timing, Kero!" Sakura snapped.

Li shook his head. If this was just like all the other times Li and Sakura were alone, then he knew what had to follow. And sure enough, someone else took his arm. It was Meilin.

"I should've known better than to leave you alone," Meilin said. "If only I had stayed awake. Sakura didn't take advantage of you, did she?"

"He didn't do anything he didn't want to," Sakura retorted. "In fact, most of this was his idea."

"It was?" Madison whined. "Sakura…why couldn't you wait? I could've gotten it on tape!"

"Sorry, Madison," Sakura sighed. "But it couldn't wait. I wanted to get closer to my BOYFRIEND!"

"Stop saying that!" Meilin groaned. "He's not your boyfriend! Isn't that right, Li?"

Li didn't say anything. He didn't want to say anything. He knew if he spoke his mind, then the arguments would escalate…even further than they were now. As he watched Sakura and Meilin argue, though, Li realized he had to put an end to this.

And he would. It was finally time for him to tell Meilin to face the truth. He loved Sakura and she couldn't change that. But this wasn't something he could tell her now. Li wanted to tell her in private. He would tell her on the bus.

Of course, as much as he wanted to lash out, Li didn't want to hurt Meilin's feelings. She had been a part of his life for so long. She was even the only person, other than Sakura and Madison, to side with him when he cut ties with his family. But to this day, that still didn't make sense to him.

Li's family was so opposed to his relationship with Sakura. Of all people, that should have appealed to Meilin more than anybody. So why didn't she side with his family?

Maybe he could ask…on the bus.

  


Any comments? Then mail me at AmericanCaptor@hotmail.com and don't forget to review below.


	8. A long bus trip

Author's Note: On a bus to Virginia, Li decides to tell Meilin that he loves Sakura…and she can't do anything about it. So how does she respond? And Sakura and Li's Cardcaptoring in the White House doesn't go unnoticed.

  


Cards captured so far: Vision, Heat, Vine, Bell, and Sleep

  


**CCS: The American Cards: Part 8**

  


Li looked out the window again. He saw the view of the fields passing by as the bus moved on towards its destination of the Virginia Piedmont. He knew what was coming. Li had to come clean sooner or later and there would be no better opportunity, now that he was alone with Meilin.

"Li?"

Li was caught by surprise. He must've been out of it, because he nearly kicked the seat in front of him when Meilin called him.

Meilin looked concerned. "You haven't said anything. Are you ok?"

Li took a deep breath. He had to say something and he had to say it now. But how should he start?

"Meilin…are you still jealous of Sakura?"

There was only silence. Li couldn't believe this. This wasn't the way he wanted to start.

"What do you mean?" Meilin finally asked. "Why do you ask?"

"I ask because you two are always at each other's throats. Especially whenever Sakura tries to get close to me. It's been a long time, Meilin. Can't you two just bury the hatchet?"

Meilin didn't answer, but asked another question. "Do you love her, Li?"

Li almost cringed. This was what he was trying to build up to, but Meilin just came right out and asked the big question. He didn't want to have to hurt her, but it had to be said.

"Yes."

Li was expecting to see devastation. He was expecting to see Meilin practically in tears. But she wasn't. Her expression hadn't changed.

"I realize that," she finally said.

"You do?" Li asked.

"I just had to hear it from you," Meilin continued. "I have to ask you, though. Is she really worth it?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Look at all that's happened, Li," Meilin elaborated. "It's been almost five years and you haven't gone back to Hong Kong even once. You left your home and spent your first year in Japan hiding from Madison Taylor's security guards. You left all your friends back home and I don't even think I need to remind what happened between you and the rest of the family."

"I don't want to talk about that!" Li snapped.

Meilin held Li's hand. "Li…I know it still hurts to talk about it. It wasn't easy to just…turn your back on your family for Sakura. But if it makes you feel any better…I'm still on your side."

"That's what I don't understand," Li said. "Everyone in the family wants me and Sakura to break up. Nobody would have more to gain from that than you. So why take my side?"

"Because I know they're wrong," Meilin answered. "They were wrong to put you in the position where you would be forced to choose between your family and Sakura. And they were wrong to actually kick you out of the family."

"They DIDN'T kick me out!" Li said angrily. "I left the family! I didn't want to be part of a family that wouldn't let me be with Sakura!"

Li tried to compose himself. He knew he couldn't let Sakura hear any of this. She and Madison were sitting a few rows behind him.

"I agree with you, Li," Meilin said sympathetically. "Your family was wrong to do what they did. That's why I've stood by you and Sakura. Sakura's my friend. You're my friend. But I also believe this, Li. I know that you and Sakura aren't meant for each other."

"What do you mean?" Li asked curiously.

"C'mon, Li," Meilin continued. "I can't explain it, but I can feel that you two are wrong for each other. It doesn't seem right. I can't explain it any further than a gut instinct. You may not see it now, but you'll see it someday."

"You're wrong, Meilin," Li said firmly. "I love Sakura…and I know she loves me."

"You're so sure of yourself, aren't you?" Meilin shot back. "Has it ever occurred to you that things won't always be the way things are now? How do you know there won't some argument or fight that you two won't be able to get through? How do you know there won't be something that leads to you two breaking up? Then where does that leave you? You won't have a family. They're too stubborn to forgive you and you're too stubborn to apologize. What happens if you and Sakura ever break up?"

Li looked over at Meilin unwaveringly. "We won't."

Meilin sighed deeply. "I don't know, Li. No one can tell the future. All I can say is that if you two do end up breaking up…I'd hate to have to pick up the pieces. For your sake, Li…I hope I'm wrong."

Somehow, this conversation took a lot of different turns…turns that Li didn't expect to take. So apparently, Meilin had let him go. She wasn't being jealous. She was being protective. Meilin didn't want to see Li get hurt…because she believed a breakup was inevitable. But Li knew she was wrong. He loved Sakura. They would never break up. They were meant for each other.

Weren't they?

* * *

It wasn't just another day at the office. Yesterday, something had gone down at the White House. Surveillance tapes found Secret Service agents asleep on the job throughout the White House and people asleep throughout Washington D.C. But this was of no concern to Agent Kevin Carter or the rest of the FBI. This would be handled by Secret Service for now.

Still, it sounded very unusual. Carter couldn't help but think about that. So he went around, talking to everyone there about what happened. Even though he didn't expect to get an answer. Carter wasn't told much around FBI, being the most inexperienced agent…and the youngest.

"They find anything?"

One of his colleagues and his best friend, Chris Jordan, looked at the _Washington Post_ again. "Besides what we already know? Same thing. A busted window in the Oval Office and dozens of Secret Service agents asleep at the switch. Had the President been there, it could have been really bad. I hear that the FBI's still looking over the tape."

"Yeah, but I don't get that, though," Carter said. "How do all those agents fall asleep at once?"

"Gas?" Chris guessed.

"That's probably it, you know. That sounds good. But how do you explain practically all of DC falling asleep?"

Chris grinned. "I don't know. Magic?"

"Ha, ha," Carter expressed sarcastically. "Magic. Where do you get that?"

"Don't worry about it," Chris moaned. "If we have to come in, they'll let us know."

Just as he said that, though, someone else walked into the office. Like everyone else, he was in a black suit and tie and wore dark sunglasses. He was a moderately tall man, standing at about 6'6, and looked very imposing. Carter couldn't put his finger on who it was.

The man held up a videotape and began to speak. "Ladies and gentlemen, I am Agent Arnold Cole of the CIA. We have a dire situation on our hands."

"What's CIA doing here?" Carter asked Chris.

"Don't know," Chris whispered back. "If he's CIA, then it must be bad."

Cole walked over to the nearby VCR. "As you know by now, there was a broken window found in the Oval Office yesterday. This tape I hold in my hand is the surveillance tape that caught every moment to the point where that window was broken. You'll find the results quite startling."

Cole inserted the tape and it started playing. The first thing Carter noticed was someone sitting in the President's chair, facing the window. But it wasn't the President, though. He was in Israel. Then Carter noticed something about who was sitting in the chair and put in his thought.

"That…that don't look…human. That thing ain't human."

Indeed, Carter had noticed that a…walking anteater was sitting in the President's chair. That was definitely…unusual. This must have been the startling discovery that Cole spoke of.

"Wait for it," Cole went on. Then he pointed at the screen. "There…right there."

Carter then saw what he meant. Two other people just walked into the Oval Office. One of them was a Japanese boy, couldn't have been older than 17 or 18. The other was a Japanese girl about the same age, and she was holding some kind of wand. Then the anteater got to its feet and jumped through the window. The boy and the girl went after it.

Cole stopped the tape. "There is reason to believe that these two have something to do with this anteater's break-in. Eyewitnesses also point out other such unusual occurrences in other parts of the country. A strange being was sighted in the steeple of Independence Hall in Philadelphia. Vines were seen coming out of the giant Christmas tree in New York City. And a strange looking imp, clearly not human, was seen in an archaeological area in Salem, Massachusetts. Each instance, these two have been sighted nearby."

Carter was a bit skeptical. "These two? They look like they're just kids."

"Look at them, though," Cole continued. "What do you notice about them?"

Carter just repeated himself. "They're kids?"

"They're foreigners," Cole pointed out. "I do not believe they are from this country. And apparently, neither does the Director of Central Intelligence. He has instructed me to find these two, for they may very well be a threat to national security."

Carter still felt skeptical. "These two? Kids? Threat to national security? They kinda looked like they were chasing that thing out, you know what I mean?"

"They shouldn't have been in there in the first place," Cole growled. "We're not even sure if those two didn't send that thing in the Oval Office. To be sure, we must find them and bring them in for questioning. Then we'll determine if they're a threat to national security.

"But the Director has insisted that I not embark on this covert mission alone. He's insisted I bring along a partner from the FBI, as the rest of CIA has other matters." Cole walked over to Carter. "Since you seem to be the most social person here, why don't you be my partner? And we'll just see how much of a threat these 'kids' are?"

"Man, how hard could it be to find two kids?" Carter scoffed.

"Very," Cole answered. "Especially if they've moved on. Remember Agent…"

"Carter."

"…Carter. They've been sighted in Salem, Philadelphia, and New York. They might still be on the move. Those towns might not be their only targets. So we should go. I'll wait for you outside…and remember, this is a covert operation."

Cole walked out, while Carter remained with his stern expression. Something didn't seem right about this. Was there something he didn't know about these kids? Were they really a threat to national security? It sounded farfetched, but stranger things had happened.

"CIA and FBI?" Chris muttered. "Don't see that everyday."

"I'll bet you don't," Carter mumbled back. "There go my vacation plans. Call me if you hear anything, man. You got my cell phone number, don't you?"

Chris held up his own cell phone. "Speed Dial 3. Got it."

Carter walked out of the office to meet up with Agent Cole. He knew that he might have to involve himself in this sooner or later, but he had no idea he'd end up chasing two kids. But if it was for national security, then he wouldn't argue it.

* * *

"Could you make out what they were saying?"

Sakura knew there was an argument ensuing between Li and Meilin. She could hear Li trying to keep his voice in check, but he definitely wasn't happy about something.

Madison shook her head. "I can't hear them. I thought I heard your name, though."

"Really?" Sakura mumbled. "What could they be saying?"

"Do you really want to ask?" Madison responded.

"Why shouldn't I?" Sakura asked. "I know Meilin and I are friends, but I'm starting to get just a little sick of her trying to get between me and Li."

"I don't think that's it," Madison thought.

"What else could it be?" Sakura asked cynically.

"Maybe Li's telling her not to get between you two," Madison tried answering. "Don't you think he's a little tired of this, too?"

"Maybe," Sakura nodded.

She didn't know what to think. Maybe Madison was right. Hopefully, Li was putting a stop to this. But then again, would Meilin be able to take that? Sakura didn't have to think about that for too much longer. Just then, the bus stopped.

"Looks like we're here," Sakura heard Kero say. "And it couldn't have come too soon. I'm hungry!"

Sakura and Madison got up. Usually, Sakura and Madison would walk out side-by-side and meet up with Li and Meilin. But Sakura couldn't wait this time. She ran straight towards Li…making sure to wedge herself between him and Meilin.

"Can I talk to you privately?"

Sakura took Li's arm and let him outside of the bus. She took him through the crowd of people, until she reached an empty spot near the parking lot.

"What were you arguing about?" Sakura asked.

Li seemed to be a bit nervous. He looked like he was a little…edgy.

"You love me, don't you?" Li finally asked.

Sakura nodded. "Of course I do. You know I do."

"Nothing will ever come between us, right?"

Sakura nodded again. "I'll always love you, Li. Nothing will ever change that."

Li breathed a sigh of relief and gave Sakura a romantic kiss. Sakura wrapped her arms around Li and savored this moment. But in the back of her mind, she wondered why Li would ask such a question.

Hopefully, she would eventually find out. In the mean time, Sakura would just treasure this moment. Then she would get around to finding the next American Card.

  


Any comments? Then mail me at AmericanCaptor@hotmail.com and don't forget to review below.


	9. Virginia and Monticello

Author's Note: With Washington D.C. now behind them, Sakura, Li, Madison, Meilin, and Kero move on to their next destination. It's time to head down south.

  


Cards captured so far: Vision, Heat, Vine, Bell, and Sleep

  


**CCS: The American Cards: Part 09**

  


Sakura looked outside the window of the Comfort Inn in Charlottesville, Virginia. While passing by on the bus, Sakura pinpointed the next American Card to its exact location. Unfortunately, it was in another public place. It was a historical site called Monticello.

Of course, this wouldn't be like the White House. This time, Sakura would be able to sneak in at night without too much trouble. Of course, things weren't going to be easy. They never were.

"Aren't they back yet?" Meilin complained.

"Maybe they got distracted," Li thought. "You know how Madison's been around these historical places. She always wants to get something on tape."

Just then, the door finally flew open. Madison and Kero finally came back.

"Sorry I took so long," Madison sighed. "Kero wanted to stop for a snack."

"Hey, I was hungry," Kero said in his defense. "Besides, you spent so much time taping the place, how could I not get hungry?"

"Did you get it, Madison?" Sakura asked eagerly.

Madison put a huge unfolded pamphlet on the carpet. "It's right here."

Sakura kneeled down to look over the map of the Monticello estate. It was the old home of Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States. It had been preserved as a historical site/museum ever since. It was definitely had its controversy, as it was the place where Jefferson had his…affairs.

The first thing Sakura noticed was that the place was definitely big. The mansion was big, but there were also vast fields and plantations around it. The American Card could be in any part of that place, but Sakura knew what she saw using Vision. She saw the back of the house and a big field. The only trick would be, how to sneak in without being seen.

"It's not like there won't be security everywhere," Meilin said cynically. "We can't just break and enter. We'll be seen."

"This would be a good place to have a Fly Card," Li sighed.

Sakura suddenly raised her head. "Actually…maybe we won't need a Fly Card. There may be a way we can get past security. I think all we'll have to worry about now is figuring out which card it is. Madison, did you notice anything strange in Monticello?"

Madison thought hard. "Nothing I can think of."

"Any changes in weather?" Sakura suggested.

That set off a light bulb in Madison's head. "Now that you mention it, it was pretty windy out there. Even INSIDE the mansion, I could feel strong winds."

"It can't be a Wind Card," Sakura thought. "Clow Reed already had a Wind Card, didn't he, Kero?"

"There may be a possibility that Clow Reed created a second set of the four element cards," Kero answered. "If that's the case, then there's a Water, Earth, and Fire Card somewhere, too."

"That's not a good sign," Sakura moaned. "Those element cards were tough to battle."

"I know what you mean," Madison added. "Remember your first fight with the Water Card?"

Sakura thought back to that day eight years ago. She was forced to choose two allies out of the first three cards she captured. It was a tough fight in the aquarium. Luckily, she managed to use the Fly Card to lure the Water Card into a waiting freezer. Then by unleashing Windy, the Water Card was left a frozen block of ice.

"Then there was the 2nd Wind Card," Madison continued.

Sakura recalled what happened to her five years ago. Back in the seventh grade, when the 2nd Cards had been released, another Wind Card waited for Sakura. What made things worse was that she had to fight it in a leg cast. That fight took a lot out of her.

"It won't be that way this time," Sakura said confidently. "I can seal it. I won't let this Wind Card throw me around like some rag doll."

"You can do it, Sakura," Li said optimistically. "And if you need any help, I'll be right there."

"Thanks, Li," Sakura smiled. "I might need it."

There was nothing left to do. All that was left was to wait for nightfall.

* * *

Kevin Carter was waiting impatiently. It was obvious that Agent Cole didn't know what he was doing. He spent hours looking through the Oval Office finding nothing. More and more, this started to seem like a waste of Carter's time.

Finally, Cole stood straight. "I have found…nothing."

"You're a real pro, aren't you?" Carter grinned sarcastically. Just then, his cell phone rang. He took it out of his pocket and answered. "Carter. What's up, Chris?"

_"How's the 'covert' investigation going, Carter?"_

"Man, he ain't found nothing," Carter sneered. "I don't know where this is supposed to lead us. Secret Service has to have looked through this place about ten times over. There ain't nothing new here."

_"Maybe I can help out. I managed to take that tape and make out two 8 X 10's. They should be useful."_

Carter chuckled. "You're the man, Chris. We'll be back there as soon as I can drag Mr. CIA out of here."

_"I'll be waiting, Chris. I'll see you later."_

"Not if I see you first." Carter hung up his phone and tapped Cole on the shoulder. He was still looking by the broken window. "Get up, Cole. We got something back at headquarters. Let's go."

Cole breathed heavily. "They've been here. But they've moved on. I can feel it."

"Whatever, man," Carter scoffed. "Let's just go."

Hopefully, these 8 X 10's would do some good. If these two kids were such a threat to national security like Cole said, then there wasn't any time to waste. Of course, Carter wasn't ready to buy this whole story just yet. Two kids threatening national security sounded so…bizarre. But Carter was FBI. He had to take every potential threat seriously…no matter how strange it sounded.

* * *

Sakura, with wand in hand, peeked through the bush to see the two guards positioned by the Monticello gate. Just like with the other guards patrolling the gate, she knew what she had to do. She took out the Sleep Card again.

"Sleep Card! Release!"

The Sleep Card released pollen into the air that fell over the guards. Just like in DC, the Sleep Card worked potently. Sakura snuck out of the bush and waved an arm in front of the guards. They were out like a light.

"They're asleep!" Sakura called out.

Having heard that, Li, Madison, and Meilin came out of the bush and towards the gate.

"That's going to make things a lot easier," Li said in relief.

Meilin grinned. "Even if they were to wake up right now, it shouldn't be hard for Avalon to blend in. Am I right, Sakura?"

Sakura looked at herself again. Madison had done it again. The black vest she gave her was something out of a riot squad. The only difference was the short black skirt…which didn't work too well for Sakura in this cold December weather. Still, all she needed was a shield and a helmet and she could pass off as a part of the riot squad.

"Let's just hurry up," Sakura said dryly. "I'm freezing my tail off…literally."

They all climbed over the fence, since the gate wasn't open. They walked onto the Monticello lawn and Sakura stopped. She never noticed how beautiful this mansion looked at night from this view. Apparently, Madison couldn't resist, either. She already had her camera out and had it pointed at Sakura.

"This is such a great shot," Madison squealed. "Taping you with the mansion in the background is so perfect!"

Sakura stood still for a moment to let Madison capture this scene, but then she started to sense the next card. She was getting closer. She started running to the point the Vision Card took her. She went to the back of the mansion and stood by the plantation. And what a plantation it was. It was huge.

By the time, everyone caught up to Sakura, the winds started to get stronger. Sakura nearly felt like she was about to be blown away. Then she realized why. The Wind Card was flying right by her, in the form of a big white eagle. It flew out into the plantation.

"It went in the fields," Sakura said. "But I don't see it."

"You'll have to flush it out, Sakura," Kero suggested. "This plantation looks like its about 5,000 acres."

The fields were vast, but Sakura knew of one way to flush this card out. She took out the Vision Card.

"Vision Card! Reveal the Wind Card from its hiding place! Release and dispel! Vision Card!"

The fields before Sakura suddenly disappeared. They weren't gone, but they were no longer visible. The only thing Sakura could see now was the ground…and the Wind Card ducking behind what Sakura assumed was a tree. She could see the Wind Card, but it couldn't see her. This was a perfect opportunity, so she walked over to Li.

"Back me up in case something goes wrong," she whispered to him. "I think I can seal it now."

Sakura carefully stepped forward. It was tough, since she couldn't see any of the grass in front of her. All she could see was the Wind Card. To clear her view, she recalled Vision. Now she saw the big field and three trees. The Wind Card was behind the center one. She kept moving forward…until…

****SNAP****

…She stepped on a twig.

The Wind Card screeched and fierce winds began to blow. Sakura felt like she was about to be blown away. So she took out the Vine Card.

"Vine Card! Hold me in place! Release and dispel! Vine!"

A pair of vines rose out of the ground and wrapped themselves around Sakura's ankles. Unfortunately, that wasn't enough. Sakura fell backwards. The Wind Card tried to move in, but Li came swooping in with his sword.

"Force, know my plight! Release the light! Lightning!"

A lightning bolt struck the base of the tree behind the Wind Card. The tree started to fall over, but the Wind Card got out of the way. Then Sakura cringed as the tree landed. Li didn't think that plan out too well, because the tree landed on top of an old shack, leaving it in pieces.

"This is not the way to be inconspicuous," Kero groaned. "Where'd the Wind Card go?"

"It's up there!" Li shouted.

Sakura looked up on the roof of the Monticello mansion. The Wind Card was perched up there, continuing to blow. Sakura had the Vine Card wrap itself around her waist and hoist her up to the roof. As she faced the Wind Card, she didn't let the Vine Card loosen. It would make a good bungee cord for this situation.

The Wind Card began to screech and let out furious winds. Just as she thought, the winds started to blow Sakura off the roof. Now Sakura was literally hanging over the ground. The Vine Card had saved her. Now hopefully, it could help her.

"Vine! Restrain the Wind Card!"

More vines began to rise from the ground. They flew up over the roof and went straight for the eagle-like Wind Card. The vines wrapped themselves around each of the Wind Card's wings and talons. The vine wrapped around Sakura's waist moved her forward through the ferocious winds. She withstood the power of the winds and held her wand out.

"Wind Card! Return to your power confined! Wind Card!"

When Sakura opened her eyes, the winds had stopped. The Wind Card was now in her hand. She had the Vine Card put her back on the ground before recalling it.

"That was a tough battle," Li conceded. "You did good, Sakura."

Sakura didn't say anything…until she turned to the broken shack. "You…don't think anyone will notice, do you?"

"I hope not," Li said sheepishly.

Meilin took his arm. "Don't beat yourself up, Li. It was…an accident."

"Just the same, I think we should leave before everybody wakes up," Sakura said.

"It could have been worse," Madison admitted. "We could have ended up destroying a historic mansion. At least I could get a good shot. Smile, Sakura"

Sakura grinned into the camera as Madison continued filming her. It was safe to say that Sakura would end up leaving the United States with a lot of memories.

It was nice to see the mood had lightened, because…Sakura had no idea where to go next.

  


Author's Note: At the making of this, I hoped to only repeat the four element cards. But when I saw yesterday's episode of Cardcaptors (What a coincidence), I saw that there was already a Clow Sleep. D'oh! That'll be the only other repeat, I assure you.

  


Any comments? Then mail me at AmericanCaptor@hotmail.com and don't forget to review below.


	10. Orlando and...

Author's Note: I may be going a little fast. I've just been eager to submit these chapters. Six American Cards have been sealed and the hunt for the next one may include a day of recreation. (And I included some S+S, too ^_^)

  


Cards captured so far: Vision, Heat, Vine, Bell, Sleep, and Wind

  


**CCS: The American Cards: Part 10**

  


It's been a long bus trip. It had to have been a few days already. The Christmas she spent in Charlotte with her friends was a distant memory. She hadn't been anywhere else since, except for the big bus to Orlando.

"What's wrong, Sakura?" Madison asked.

Sakura paused at first. "I'm just confused, Madison. Confused over what Vision showed me."

"What did you see?"

Sakura tried to recall what she saw. "I saw…a big castle. I was high above the ground on top of the castle and I was facing…a little imp…with wings."

"Wings?"

"Out of her back," Sakura continued. "I don't know what it could be."

"We may find out sooner or later," Kero added. "But a castle…in Florida? Where could that be?"

Madison gasped. "It couldn't be."

"What?" Sakura asked curiously. "What is it?"

"It couldn't be…Disney World…could it?"

Sakura felt stupid for not thinking of it before. "You're right. It's Disney World…in Orlando. That castle I saw has to have been the one in the Magic Kingdom."

"Well, that's great to hear," Kero groaned. "Another card…out in a public place!"

Usually, Sakura would have agreed. The hardest American Cards to capture were the ones out in the public…which, so far, have been nearly all of them. But she was feeling confident.

"They'll never see me," Sakura said boldly. "How can they? I'll be up on the roof."

"How are you going to GET on the roof?" Kero shot back. "If this is such a big place, then there won't be an empty spot anywhere."

Sakura stuffed Kero in her pocket. "Why did you have to say that? Now I'm not sure anymore!" She buried her face in her hands and sighed. Then she felt Madison put a friendly hand on her back.

"Don't worry, Sakura. You can do this. The only problem I have with this is…how am I going to tape you if you're on the roof?"

Sakura smiled. Those words made Sakura feel better. She was glad to such an optimistic friend like Madison.

"Well…look at it this way," Sakura said comfortingly. "You'll have plenty of other things to tape out there. After all, it looks like we'll be spending the day at Disney World."

Suddenly, Sakura and Madison…basically overcome by giddiness…squealed for joy. Sakura was actually excited about the next capture. She would confront an American Card at night…but the entire day before that, she would spend at the happiest place on Earth.

* * *

Carter looked at the pictures again. A Chinese boy and a Japanese girl…it just seemed so weird. The 8 X 10's Chris made out enlarging the images on the tape caught their faces perfectly, and Carter honestly couldn't understand how these two could threaten national security. But he didn't say anything. He would just accept this assignment and hope it ended quickly.

Cole was eager to get this over with. He wanted to check the airports, but Carter had a better idea. These two seemed to be traveling short distances. And since they were suspected foreigners, then it was doubtful that they had a car. So Carter had an idea to check the bus depot. He was just about to get out, before Cole held his arm.

"What are you going to say?" he asked sourly.

"What do you think I'm going to say?" Carter snapped. "I'm going up to the window, I'll tell them I'm FBI, and I'll ask if these two have been seen."

"NO!" Cole shouted. "This is a COVERT mission. You are not to tell them you work for the government!"

"Well, what you want me to do, then?" Carter asked indignantly.

"Think of something," Cole growled. "But you are NOT to tell them you're FBI."

Carter just shrugged and turned to walk into the bus depot, muttering incoherently. He couldn't believe what he was putting up with from Mr. CIA. Carter walked up to the ticket window and started to put on his act.

"How you doing?" Carter said half-heartedly. "I'm sorry to disturb you like this, but…I need help."

"What do you need, sir?"

"It's…my…daughter," Carter improvised. "She really hates me right now. I think she might have run away. She looks like this." He held up the Japanese girl's picture. "We argued so much the night before. I yelled at her and I feel just terrible for it." By now, Carter was putting on the water works. He was great at these acts. "We were arguing about the guy she was dating. So when I sent her to her room, I think she may have run away with the little punk. They might be getting eloped. Have you seen her…or the little punk? He looks like this." He held up the Chinese boy's picture.

The woman looked at Carter skeptically. "You…and this girl…are related?"

Carter quickly tried to think of a lie. It was obvious that they weren't related. This girl was Japanese and Carter was…African-American.

"Uh…she's adopted," Carter lied. He put on the fake tears again. "The adoption process was so long. I gave up my social life for that girl. But you should have seen her. She was so cute…only 7. She looked me in my eyes and I couldn't resist. I just had to adopt her. But now…she's run away. My little baby's run away. Please tell me you've seen her."

"Uh…I'm really sorry," the woman apologized. "I just started today. I haven't seen your little girl. I'm so sorry."

Carter dried off the fake tears. "It's all right. I'm sure I'll find her again. And…maybe we can be a family again." Carter was ready to beat himself up. He was really pouring it on.

"I hope you find her."

Carter turned to leave. He dried the tears again…and began muttering incoherently again. Then his phone rang.

"Carter. Is that you, Chris?"

_"Any luck, bro?"_

"You'd think it'd be easier to find two foreign kids around here. We ain't even left DC yet. I know they have to have gone by bus or something, but the depot ain't telling me anything. Mr. CIA thinks it's best I don't tell anyone who I am."

_"So do I have to come to your rescue again? Because I have a lead."_

"Let me have it, partner."

_"There was a situation a few nights ago in Virginia, around Monticello. Surveillance tapes found guards asleep at the switch. Sound familiar?"_

"How did those kids get there so fast?" Carter thought.

_"Oh, it gets better. Apparently, they aren't alone. Two other girls, one Japanese, one Chinese, were seen with them. They're probably in this, too."_

"This just keeps getting weirder. You're sure about this? I ain't going on some dead end chase in Virginia."

_"Trust me. They were there. Of course, that doesn't mean they haven't already left."_

"Well, thanks anyway."

_"I'll see you later."_

"Not if I see you first."

Carter hung up and stood there for a moment. Those two just became four. And they were still going cross-country. But if they were threats, wouldn't they have stayed in DC? These were questions Carter would have to find the answers to.

* * *

It had been such a wonderful day so far. Sakura would never forget it. But the sun was starting to set and it was almost time for Sakura to get down to business. But for now…she just laid back as she went up Splash Mountain. As the log moved forward, Li romantically put his arms around her.

"This has been so beautiful," Sakura said softly. "I wish we could be like this forever."

Li took that moment to kiss Sakura passionately. Sakura could hear the squeals of joy from Madison and the sighs coming from Meilin. Then he broke the kiss as the log made its way up. Sakura was momentarily distracted by that moment of romantic bliss. But then the log slowly reached the peak and Sakura could see outside. She gasped as she saw something flying far in front of her. It wasn't a bird. It wasn't a plane. It was a small imp…with wings.

Sakura cried out. "Hey! That's the…AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!"

The long drop completely caught Sakura off-guard. When the log finished its fall, Sakura covered her head as the long splash of water covered the log. Unfortunately, both Sakura and Li got the brunt of the splash and were soaking wet.

"What…did…you see?" Li sputtered.

Sakura tried drying her hair off. "I saw…the card.

"What did it look like?" Li asked.

"A little imp," Sakura said. "With wings on her back."

"It's the Angel Card," Li said affirmatively. "That must've been what you saw." He looked in the sky. "It looks like it's gone now."

Sakura kept drying her hair. "But it'll be back. If it's anything like what Vision showed me, then I know where it'll be."

* * *

"You ready, Sakura?"

Sakura giggled. "Madison, I love this! It's beautiful. It's just kind of weird to be hunting cards like this."

Sakura looked at herself again. She really liked the blue dress Madison gave her. It brought the Cinderella out of her…except for where the dress was cut just above her knees. Of course, the look couldn't be complete without the wig Madison had for her.

"Ok, Cinderella," Kero said teasingly. "What's the plan? How are you going to get on the roof?"

Sakura thought about that. "I…don't know. I can't just use the Vine Card. It'd attract too much attention."

"How about Windy?" Li suggested.

"Beats anything else I have in mind," Sakura sighed. "But I need you to make sure the coast is clear."

Sakura wandered through the large crowd until she reached the big castle at the end of Main Street. Then she walked through the back of the castle to the only spot where there wasn't any people, the restroom that was out of order.

Li and Meilin looked around, while Madison had her camera pointed right at Sakura. The people were all going down Main Street for some reason. She knew the park didn't close for another hour.

"Coast is clear," Meilin said.

"Good luck, Sakura," Li added.

Sakura took out her key. "Key of Clow. Power of Magic. Power of Light. Surrender the wand. The force ignite. Release!" She took the wand in her hand and took out the Wind Card. "Windy! Release!"

The Wind Card came out, still in its eagle form, and began blowing upwards. Sakura was lifted high into the air and was dropped on the castle roof. But that's where Sakura started to slip. She fell to her knees to keep herself from sliding off the roof. She realized that it was a long fall down. As soon as she had a firm grip on the ground, she got back to her feet. That's when she saw the Angel Card flying in front of her.

Only one card could be effective without attracting attention. Sakura took out the Wind Card again. "Windy! Surround the Angel Card! Release and dispel! Wind Card!"

The eagle Wind Card took to the sky and started flying around the Angel Card, creating strong winds. The Angel Card countered by flapping its wings fiercely. The winds offset each other and the Angel Card maintained its position. Suddenly, Sakura heard cheering. She looked down to see that the people were now watching the skies. They saw the Angel Card…and apparently thought it was a part of the show. Needless to say, they also saw Sakura.

Then Sakura began to hear a drum roll. She began to hear…music. Not just any music, though. She started to hear the Sorcerer's Apprentice. Then she heard a whistling sound. That was because fireworks began to light up the sky. It was the "Fantasy in the Sky" fireworks display. The fireworks were literally filling up the sky. The Angel Card was obviously distracted…especially since the fireworks were literally inches from hitting it.

Then just as the music hit a crescendo, the Angel Card was nailed by a rising firecracker. The Angel Card fell and landed right in front of Sakura. She couldn't believe it. She hardly did anything, yet the Angel Card had been beaten. Sakura held her wand out.

"Angel Card! Return to your power confined! Angel Card!"

As the song ended, the Angel Card was sealed. Holding the Angel Card in her hand, Sakura peered over the edge of the castle to the out-of-order restroom, where her friends were looking on. Sakura expected to see Madison's camera pointed straight at her, but it wasn't.

"Hey! Madison!"

Madison bashfully turned the camera towards Sakura. "Sorry, Sakura. I just had to get those fireworks on tape. Great capture!"

"But how are you getting down?" Meilin asked.

Sakura looked at the Angel Card. "Angel Card! Release!"

An aura began to surround Sakura. Then she saw the shocked expressions on the faces of her friends. Sakura looked behind her. She saw…wings. It was nothing like the Fly Card, which left wings on her wand. These wings were literally coming out of Sakura's back. She looked down one more time and jumped down. Unfortunately, Sakura wasn't used to the wings yet. She stumbled and struggled to get them working. Sakura only fell…until she was caught…by Li.

"Hi," Sakura said shyly.

"You all right…my little angel?"

Overtaken by that, Sakura reached up and kissed Li. Then she got to her feet. She looked at herself again. There were wings on her back, but she could hardly move them.

"That's…amazing," Madison said, as she held one of Sakura's wings. "You look so beautiful."

Meilin held her other wing. "I've never seen anything like this."

"Yeah, but I'm not used to them," Sakura sighed. She recalled the Angel Card and the wings disappeared from Sakura's back. "It's…going to take some practice."

"I can't believe I got that on tape," Madison added. "Even I can't believe it."

"It's the effect of the Angel Card," Kero explained. "Whoever calls on it gets the wings of an angel…but…you have to learn how to use them. It's like you just got another limb. It takes a while to get used to, but when you do, it's like no other feeling in the world. Haven't you ever wondered what it's like to fly on your own? It's always worked for me."

As the fireworks continued to light up the sky, Sakura took one more look at the Angel Card. This would definitely come in handy for future captures, but she also thought about what Kero said. What would it be like…to fly…like a bird…like an angel?

"I think it's time to find the next card," Kero muttered.

Sakura dismissed that thought. "Not now. Right now…I just want to watch the fireworks."

Sakura put her arm around Li and watched the fireworks fill the sky. It would be a memory she would cherish…a memory of her time at Disney World.

  


Any comments? Then mail me at AmericanCaptor@hotmail.com and don't forget to review below.


	11. Atlanta, Centennial Park, and New Year's...

Author's Note: It's finished! I just put the finishing touches on the final chapter yesterday and I am very pleased with the result. All that's left now is to submit each part until I get to the end, which should take a while, depending on how eager I get.

  


Cards captured so far: Vision, Heat, Vine, Bell, Sleep, Wind, and Angel

  


**CCS: The American Cards: Part 11**

  


December 31st

It was New Year's Eve. Sakura pictured herself at home with her family getting ready to ring in the New Year. Instead, she was in Atlanta, Georgia on the hunt for another American Card. So of course Sakura wanted to get this over with as soon as possible. This time, the Vision Card showed her a park. Of course, it wasn't just any park. As Sakura passed by, she saw the sign.

**Centennial Olympic Park**

Centennial Park was still full of holiday decorations, but it was also full of people. The people of Atlanta were here for New Year's Eve. And they weren't exactly dressed for the occasion. Meilin and Li went in what they usually wore. Madison went in a coat and jeans, and of course, had her camera with her. And Sakura…wore a complete leather ensemble. Her jacket, pants, and boots were all made of leather. It definitely made her look a little more…dangerous.

"Does anyone have the time?" Sakura asked.

Madison looked at her watch. "It's 9 o'clock. Three hours to the New Year."

"Then we should get this over with quickly," Sakura responded.

Sakura and her friends made their way through the crowd and walked to a seemingly empty part of the park. Li took out the Lasin Board.

"Force, know my plight! Release the light!"

The Lasin Board's light shot out, but it faced away from the park. It was facing the parking lot.

Meilin shook her head. "I thought you said the card was in the park, Sakura."

Kero spoke up for her. "There's always the possibility that the card's moved on. Where's the light pointing to?"

Li ran with the Lasin Board to the parking lot. Everyone else followed him until they saw where the light was pointing. The light was pointing into the storm drain.

Meilin frowned. "You mean the next card's in…a sewer? Eww!"

Madison shook her head. "I just hope my camera doesn't get drenched."

"I guess we better go," Li sighed. He looked out into the street. "There's a manhole. We can get in through there."

"Wait a minute!" Kero suddenly called out. He flew into Sakura's pocket. "I don't want the smell of sewage on this body. Now we can go."

Sakura braced herself for what was sure to be a long evening. There was no way she could picture herself spending New Year's Eve in a…sewer.

* * *

"You don't got a family, do you?"

Carter was definitely curious about this guy he was working with. It was New Year's Eve and Carter was stuck in a Tallahassee hotel room while Agent Cole was still trying to get leads on those four kids. It had been a few days since Chris called with a lead saying those four kids were spotted in Disney World…where yet another unusual phenomenon had occurred. Carter wanted to go home, but it didn't look like that was going to happen anytime soon. He was going to be out on the road for a while.

"It's none of your business," Cole scowled. "I don't care for this or any other holiday. I just want to get my job done."

"Oh, that explains why you were such a ray of sunshine on Christmas," Carter grinned. "Come on, man. It's New Year's Eve. Even 'threats to national security' take the night off for New Year's."

"You don't know what you're saying," Cole said. "How long have you been FBI?"

"About…six months," Carter answered casually. "So you'll excuse me if I'm not used to missing my favorite holidays. Tell me something, Mr. CIA. Do you at least have any leads?"

"Beyond these pictures, I don't know," Cole answered. "There's no way they could still be in Orlando. They have to have moved on by now. That's why we stopped here."

"Why did we stop here?" Carter asked. "You haven't told me anything."

"We're waiting for your friend to call," Cole said. "Apparently, these four can't stay out of the spotlight. We'll get a call eventually. When we do, we'll leave and head right after them."

"Whatever you say," Carter said apathetically. "I'm just hoping this New Year's Eve won't be as sad as it's already been."

"It sickens me," Cole muttered. "Those four little…terrorists are probably out enjoying themselves right now."

* * *

Sakura definitely wasn't enjoying this. She could smell the sewage coming from the open manhole. She let Li go through first, while Madison climbed down after. Then Sakura hoped for…a semi- romantic moment.

"Li! Catch me!"

Sakura jumped down the manhole right into the arms of Li. It was such a romantic moment. She loved having these moments with Li. But when Sakura got to her feet, someone else was also hoping for Li to catch her.

"Li! Catch me!"

Meilin jumped down…but Li wasn't exactly expecting her. He was caught by surprise and she landed right on top of him. Sakura didn't want to laugh…but she couldn't help it. Especially since Madison got that embarrassing incident on tape.

"Wow! I can't wait until I get this into a VCR," Madison laughed.

"I thought you were going to catch me, Li," Meilin huffed.

"I'll catch you next time," Li moaned. "Now get off me!"

Meilin bashfully got off of Li and then grimaced. "Yuck! It stinks!"

"I'll say it does!" Kero shouted from Sakura's pocket. "I can smell that sewer all the way in here!"

Li took out the Lasin Board and saw it was pointing at the stream of sewer water. Then the water began to bubble.

"Is…it supposed to do that?" Sakura asked.

Just then, the water stopped bubbling…and a mountain of sludge began to rise. Then the sludge fell right on top of Sakura, Li, Madison, and Meilin.

Sakura coughed uncontrollably. "Gross! I'm drenched!"

"My camera!" Madison wailed. "It'll take me forever to get this stench off!"

"Oh, great!" Meilin added. "I'll have to spend about three hours in the shower to get this odor off of me! My hair's a mess!"

Li just calmly dried himself off and scoffed. "Girls." He walked over to the stream and pulled out his sword. "This is obviously…the Sludge Card. Come on out!"

The Sludge Card didn't come out. Instead, the stream began to spray sludge in Li's face. Sputtering, he stepped back.

"Ok, you had your chance!" Li said angrily. "Force, know my plight! Release the light! Lightning!"

Lightning shot out of Li's sword and right into the stream, but nothing came out. Instead, more sludge began to rise. A tidal wave of sludge fell right on top of Li. Sakura cringed before running up to Li.

"Li, are you…ugh!"

Sakura covered her nose and took a step back. As much as she loved Li…he reeked. The strength of that odor was like no other.

Li grew determined as he got to his feet. "I'm not going to lose to something like the Sludge Card! Force, know my plight! Release the light! Fire!"

Sakura and Meilin both gasped. "Li, NO!!!"

It was too late. A flame came out of Li's sword and went straight for the stream of sewer water. Sure enough…

****WHOOSH****

The sludge ignited. The sewer lit on fire and the flames were starting to spread. Sakura knew she had to work fast.

"Key of Clow. Power of magic. Power of light. Surrender the wand. The force ignite. Release!" Sakura quickly grabbed her wand and took out the Wind Card. "Windy! Put out the flames! Release and dispel! Windy!"

The Wind Card struck farther down the stream and created a tidal wave that fell on top of the fire. The fire was quickly put out, but Sakura still smelled smoke. Then she saw that something was still on fire. It was a giant gray spider covered in sludge…which was on fire. Sakura took advantage of its predicament. She ran up to the flaming Sludge Card and held out her wand.

"Sludge Card! Return to your power confined! Sludge Card!"

The flames were out as the Sludge Card was sealed. The residual odor of smoke…and the odor of the sewer was all that remained. Sakura walked up to Li, who was practically beating himself up for making such a mistake.

"I can't believe I did that," Li groaned. "What was I thinking?"

Sakura, covering her nose, put a hand on his shoulder. "You did fine, Li. You did a great job of warming up the Sludge Card for me. And…I know I couldn't have gotten any closer to it. That think stunk!"

Just then, Meilin put her hand on Li's other shoulder. "Besides, you were just getting warmed up. I'm sure you could have beaten that card if Sakura let you finish your plan. What was your plan, Li?"

Li just stuttered nervously. "Uh…can't tell you. It was too complicated."

"I'll take your word for it," Meilin said dryly. "But…can we leave now? I can't take much more of this sewer!"

Sakura had to agree with that. This is not how she wanted to spend New Year's Eve. Sakura asked Madison for the time and she told her it was barely 10 o'clock. Sakura would have to rush back to her hotel room for a quick shower if she wanted to make this New Year's Eve special. It would be the first one she'd spend with Li…alone.

* * *

"You're sure we're alone?"

Sakura looked around. Centennial Park was full, but she managed to find an empty spot around the parking lot.

"We're alone," she told Li. "I asked Kero to keep Madison and Meilin busy. I didn't want any interruptions for tonight."

Sakura and Li sat down in the patch of grass near the parking lot. There wasn't a clock in sight, but she had a feeling that the crowd would start counting down soon enough.

"Did you…ever picture this?" Li asked.

Sakura sighed deeply. "I can honestly say I've never pictured myself spending New Year's Eve in Atlanta, Georgia. I never even pictured myself traveling outside of Japan."

"Actually…I meant something else."

"What did you mean?"

"Did you ever picture…us?" Li asked. "When we first met…eight years ago. Did you ever think we'd ever end up spending New Year's Eve alone together?"

"Not when I first saw you," Sakura admitted. "You tried to take the Clow Cards from me!"

"Well, that's because I didn't think you could handle it."

"What do you think now?"

Li kissed Sakura lightly on the forehead. "You…have matured so much since then. You've become better than anything I'd ever seen. I never dreamed you would become such a good Cardcaptor. You…even came to my rescue earlier."

"It was an honest mistake," Sakura said comfortingly. "I know. I've made enough of those in my life to know."

"Isn't it funny, though?" Li sighed, giving a half-smile. "This time it was me making the mistake. I never thought that would happen eight years ago."

Sakura looked into the sky. "Where do you think the next card is, Li?"

"I honestly don't know," Li answered grimly. "It could be anywhere."

"Do you think we can do this?" Sakura asked. "Capture all the cards?"

"We've done it before," Li nodded. "We can do it again. And I don't see anything that can stop us."

Things stayed pretty quiet. Sakura just laid back in Li's arms as she waited for the final countdown. Then the time came and the crowd in Centennial Park started counting down.

"10…9…8…7…6…5…4…3…2…"

Suddenly, Li kissed Sakura deeply just before the final second.

"…1…Happy New Year!"

Li broke the kiss and smiled gently. "Our last kiss of 2000."

Sakura smiled back. "And here's our first of 2001."

Then they resumed the kiss.

  


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	12. Nashville and Adelphia Coliseum

Author's Note: It took me a while to think of this chapter. That's probably why this series came so late. I wanted to do this chapter just right.

  


Cards captured so far: Vision, Heat, Vine, Bell, Sleep, Wind, Angel, and Sludge

  


**CCS: The American Cards: Part 12**

  


Sakura looked around. She didn't know what to say. She was in the middle of…a stadium. The seats were empty, but filling up rapidly. Then she saw the two locker rooms, in front of her and behind her. Dozens and dozens of big guys began to come out of each locker room. Then she recognized the uniforms. They were football players. She was in the middle of a football game.

Then the vision started to fade. But before it did, Sakura looked up at the scoreboard. She could make out two words.

**Adelphia Coliseum**

* * *

"And that's all you saw?" Kero asked.

"It's all I saw," Sakura nodded. "I've told you that about a million times. I mean…that's why we're on this bus to Nashville."

"But Adelphia Coliseum?" Madison thought. "You're sure it was a football game?"

"Those were definitely football uniforms," Sakura answered. "I know one them had a big 'T' on them. And the other one had a big bird's head."

"But what kind of American Card could hide in a football stadium?" Madison asked.

"I don't think that's all we'll have to worry about," Kero piped up. "If Sakura saw two football teams coming out, then that means the American Card will most likely strike in the middle of the game. And that could be bad news."

"Looks like we'll have to get tickets," Sakura said, glancing at Madison.

"Sakura…" Madison whined. "I'm running out of money. My mom's going to kill me."

"I'll find some way to make this up to you," Sakura replied. "But in the meantime…I need to use your phone again."

"Time to check in on Tori?"

"You know it," Sakura sighed. She took the phone and made the phone call back to Japan. Sakura realized that these calls would take their toll on Madison's phone bill. She only hoped she could think of a good excuse for Tori…or she would end up paying Madison's bill.

* * *

As soon as they got to Nashville, Sakura suggested going straight to the box office. It took a while for them to find Adelphia Coliseum on the map, but they found it and took the long walk. When they got to Adelphia Coliseum, Sakura couldn't shake off how familiar it looked. It was just as she saw it when she used the Vision Card.

"It's huge," Meilin noticed.

"This is where you saw the card, Sakura?" Li asked again.

"How many times do I have to tell you? It's here!" Sakura uttered in frustration.

It was definitely strange that there was no one around the box office. Sakura could see the big display for this Sunday's game between the Tennessee Titans and the Baltimore Ravens, so those must have been the two teams she saw coming out of the locker rooms. She could only wonder if this was a big game.

Madison went up to the window. "Four tickets for this Sunday's game, please."

The clerk tried to hold in his laughter, but Sakura could hear him snicker. "You…aren't from around here, are you?"

"Is it that obvious?" Meilin mumbled under her breath.

"Sunday's game has been sold out for weeks," the clerk continued. "It's the AFC Divisional Playoff game between the Titans and the Ravens. There isn't a seat left in the house!"

"You're sure there isn't a seat left?" Sakura pleaded.

"Sorry. Nothing left," the clerk reiterated.

Sakura turned away and moaned softly. She couldn't believe these tickets were sold out.

Li shook his head. "Now what?"

"Um…excuse me…"

Li turned his head to see someone standing behind him, a man in hat and sunglasses and a Hawaiian shirt. Sakura didn't know what to make of this.

"I couldn't help but overhear that you four need tickets to this Sunday's game."

"But they're sold out," Sakura said hopelessly.

"What if I were to tell you I have four tickets?" the man asked.

"I'd ask what's the catch?" Li responded cynically.

The man pulled out four tickets. "These four tickets are in Section 101, Row A, which is right by the end zone. I'd love nothing better to see my Titans run over the Raisins, but I got an important call and I have to go out of town. So I have to sell these tickets. And I'll sell them to you…for $800."

"$800?!" Meilin shouted. "You've got to be kidding me!!"

Sakura quickly put a hand over Meilin's mouth and chuckled nervously. "Um…excuse us."

Sakura dragged Meilin a few feet away and Li and Madison followed. It was time for another team huddle.

"$800?" Meilin asked again. "He's taking advantage of us!"

"I know he is," Sakura agreed. "But at this point, we don't have a choice. We need those tickets."

"Then what are you waiting for?" Kero demanded from Sakura's pocket. "Go get those tickets!"

The huddle broke and Sakura walked back to the scalper. "It's a little steep…but we'll take them. Madison?"

Madison pulled the $800 out and handed them to the ticket scalper. The scalper then handed the tickets to Sakura. She looked at them closely to make sure they weren't fakes, but these tickets were definitely authentic.

"Thank you, sir."

"No, thank YOU."

The scalper walked out and Sakura turned around to see Li shaking his head.

"We got ripped off. The things we have to do to seal these cards."

"Well, let's just go back to the hotel room," Sakura suggested. "We have a lot of time to kill. The game isn't until Sunday."

"Maybe in the meantime we can find out what we're seeing," Meilin added. "Do any of us even know these teams?"

"Here's a better question," Li continued. "Have any of us…ever even seen a football game?"

Sakura…hadn't thought of that. She had heard so much about the sport of football. She saw a game once, but she didn't understand the rules. She was curious, though. Sakura was always the athletic type and she was always into sports. Maybe it was time for her to find out about the sport of football. At least it would give her something to do until Sunday.

* * *

Sunday was here. Everyone took their seats and Sakura looked out onto the field. The field was empty, but Adelphia Coliseum wasn't. It was packed with die-hard Tennessee Titans fans. Sakura knew she was here for a purpose…but she was still pumped about this game. She spent the last few days learning about the game of football and even watching clips of the Wildcard games in the hotel room. While some of it still seemed fuzzy, Sakura was starting to get familiar with the game of football.

Then, just as she had seen with Vision, the locker rooms emptied out. The team with the big 'T' on their jerseys, the Tennessee Titans, took the field, as did the team with the big bird's head on their jerseys, the Baltimore Ravens. She wished she could get a better look, but Meilin was holding onto the binoculars.

"Do you see anything?" Kero asked.

"Not yet," Sakura answered. "I'll let you know if I see anything. Just…eat your hot dog."

Kero calmed himself and kept on eating. He was enjoying expanding his horizons and finding new foods to satisfy his palette. Sakura took comfort in knowing if she needed to calm Kero down, she could always buy some peanuts.

If this American Card was around, it wasn't doing anything yet. There were no changes in the atmosphere and Sakura couldn't sense it nearby. Things stayed calm through the coin toss and through the opening kickoff. The game commenced through the first few minutes with nobody scoring. It was hard for Sakura to focus on hunting for the next card, since she was paying a little more attention to the game. Then she saw the Titans driving towards her side of the end zone. At the two-yard line, the ball was handed off to the running back, who ran the ball in for a touchdown as Adelphia Coliseum came alive.

**Touchdown! Ball carried by #27 Eddie George!**

Sakura looked on as Eddie George celebrated giving his team the early 7-0 lead. He even walked over to Sakura's section…and handed her the ball. She couldn't believe it. Neither could her friends.

"Wow!" Madison exclaimed. "I wish I had my camera here! That's so cool!"

"An official ball," Li noticed. "I guess it'll be something to take back to Japan, won't it, Sakura?"

"I can't believe he gave this to me," Sakura said in awe. "What was his name again?"

"The program says Eddie George," Meilin answered. "I can't believe you, Avalon. Why are you always getting so lucky?"

Sakura still held the ball in her hand as the Titans set up to kick the ball. Sakura looked back to the game as soon as the Ravens' Jermaine Lewis got ready to receive the next kickoff. The ball was in the air…

…then it happened.

Jermaine Lewis caught the ball…but then another ball fell…and another…and another…and another. The field was literally becoming littered with footballs. Jermaine Lewis dropped the ball and stood there, confused. Both teams stopped moving and looked around in bewilderment. The referees came onto the field and asked each other what was happening. The footballs didn't stop falling onto the field. It was practically raining footballs.

"Kero, are you seeing this?" Sakura asked.

Kero peeked out of Sakura's pocket and looked onto the field. The footballs had stopped raining down, but there were hundreds of them on the field. And they had all appeared out of nowhere. One of the referees then threw his hat into the air in frustration…but then more hats began to fall to the ground. Just like before, one was thrown into the sky, but hundreds more fell to the ground.

"This is weird," Madison uttered.

"This isn't what I think it is, is it?" Sakura groaned.

Li nodded. "It's the Multiple Card. It takes one thing and multiplies it into hundreds, maybe thousands." He looked over to Meilin. "Do you see anything?"

"It would help if I knew what to look for," Meilin said. Then she gasped. "Then again, maybe it's up there!"

Sakura took the binoculars and looked up at the top of the scoreboard. There was something up there. It was a five-headed orange toad. That had to be the Multiple Card. Sakura then handed the binoculars to Li, who also saw the same thing.

"It's time to go," Li said solemnly.

Sakura, Li, Madison, and Meilin got up from their seats and started heading out. They would have to lure the Multiple Card from the top of the scoreboard.

* * *

The four stood outside of Adelphia Coliseum, in the parking lot, and looked up at the scoreboard high above them. The Multiple Card was still standing there looking onto the field. Sakura's first instinct was to use the Angel Card. But she still didn't know how to use it too well. And it wouldn't be a good thing for the capacity crowd to see her flying near the scoreboard. She would have to find another way.

As he took out his sword from Sakura's duffel bag, Li made a quick suggestion. "Windy?"

"I don't think we have much choice," Sakura conceded. She took out her key. "Key of Clow. Power of magic. Power of light. Surrender the wand. The force ignite. Release!"

"We'd better step back," Madison said. She and Meilin took a few steps backwards.

Sakura took out the Wind Card. "Windy! Bring down the Multiple Card! Windy! Release and dispel!"

The Wind Card, in its eagle form, started flying up towards the scoreboard. It wrapped up the Multiple Card in a ribbon and dragged it towards the edge of the scoreboard. Then the Wind Card knocked the Multiple Card off the scoreboard and it fell to the ground below. It landed right between Sakura and Li.

Before anything else could happen, the Multiple Card rolled backwards. It picked up a small rock and threw it forward. But the one rock soon became a lot of rocks. Sakura and Li were getting pelted with rocks as they didn't stop multiplying. What made things worse, were that the rocks began pelting the cars in the parking lot. Something had to be done to stop this. Then Sakura glanced at Li. Li nodded back. She had a plan and Li knew it. Sakura took out the Sludge Card.

"Sludge Card! Release!"

The Sludge Card, in its spider form, leaped over the Multiple Card and drenched it in sludge, but more importantly, flammable sludge. Li realized that.

"Force, know my plight! Release the light! Fire!"

Li's sword shot out a big flame that ignited the sludge and engulfed the Multiple Card in flames. Then the Multiple Card tried to get smart. It saw one of the cars and began to hop towards it. If it got there, then it could blow up the parking lot. Knowing the potential damage it could cause, Sakura took out the Vine Card.

"Vine Card! Stop it! Release and dispel!"

Two vines rose out of the card and wrapped themselves around the Multiple Card's legs and tripped it up. Before it could get loose, Sakura ran up to it.

"Multiple Card! Return to your power confined! Multiple Card!"

Before it could escape, the Multiple Card was sealed. Just as Sakura sealed it, she heard groans from the crowd in Adelphia Coliseum.

"What…do you think that was?" Sakura asked curiously.

"You make a big capture, and that's all you can think about?" Kero asked. "You did great, Sakura."

"But what was that?" Sakura asked again.

* * *

Sakura found out what it was. She was nervous that someone in Adelphia Coliseum had seen her sealing the Multiple Card. But the people weren't groaning because of that. They were groaning because the Ravens had scored, and the Ravens went on to win the game. Now Sakura was just sitting in the hotel room, with the football in her hand. She was alone with Madison, as Li and Meilin were in the room next to theirs.

"It's too bad they lost," Sakura said.

"But you got something out of it," Madison said comfortingly. "I can't believe you're going back to Japan with an actual game ball."

"And it's too bad I got to miss the rest of the game," Sakura sighed. "I was just starting to get into it, too. Madison, do you think anybody knows what's happened?"

"At the game? I hope not?"

"Chances are, nobody knows," Kero added. "They might have told a few friends, but other than that, the people of Nashville have no idea of this little incident."

As if on cue, Madison turned on the TV, which was on ESPN's Sportscenter. It was the top of the hour and the first set of highlights were from the Tennessee-Baltimore game. And sure enough, there were clips of the hundreds of footballs falling from the sky.

Sakura was ready to panic. "They…won't know, right, Kero?"

"They'll ask questions, but they can't trace that back to you," Kero assured her. "No one saw you battling the Multiple Card in the parking lot. That's the important thing."

"Just relax, Sakura," Madison said gently. "You did fine. And I'm sure nobody saw you. Trust me. It's still our secret."

Sakura tried to put this behind her. She tried not to worry. Instead, she just sat in her room and saw one more highlight:

She saw Eddie George…handing her the game ball after scoring the opening touchdown.

  


Any comments? Then mail me at AmericanCaptor@hotmail.com and don't forget to review below.


	13. Cleveland and the Rock and Roll Hall of ...

Author's Note: Leaving Nashville behind, the Cardcaptors head towards their next destination…of Cleveland, Ohio.

  


Cards captured so far: Vision, Heat, Vine, Bell, Sleep, Wind, Angel, Sludge, and Multiple

  


**CCS: The American Cards: Part 13**

  


"Can you sense it yet, Sakura?"

Sakura desperately tried to sense the next American Card, but it was a little difficult from the hotel room. Yes, she could feel there was one somewhere in Cleveland, but she couldn't pinpoint exactly where.

"I can't narrow it down, Kero," Sakura finally said. "All I know is…what it looks like."

"You know what the card looks like?" Kero asked wide-eyed. "Then share with the rest of us."

Sakura concentrated hard. "It looks like…a…cork."

"A cork?" Madison repeated.

"A cork on two legs," Sakura elaborated. "I didn't see anything beyond that. I don't know where it is."

Meanwhile, Sakura could see Li sitting by the window, facing outside to Downtown Cleveland. It was definitely a new experience for him to see these sights as it was for all of them. Somehow, though, Sakura could feel he was also trying to pinpoint the card's location.

"Have you used the Lasin Board, Li?" Meilin asked.

Li was skeptical. "I can't use the Lasin Board. The card might be too far out of its range."

"It couldn't hurt to try it," Meilin said optimistically.

Li sighed and took out the Lasin Board. "Source of light! With ancient spin, send forth the magic power within! Force, know my plight! Release the light!"

The Lasin Board's light shot out of the hotel's window and looked to have pinpointed the card. The Lasin Board pointed to a big glass pyramid down the street. Sakura and Madison ran over to see where the light was pointing. Madison seemed to recognize it.

"It's the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame."

"There's a card in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?" Sakura asked. She groaned. "Why are all the cards in big public places…full of people?"

"Maybe we'll get lucky," Li tried saying. "We might find something else like the Sleep Card."

"I don't think a walking cork would get people to fall asleep," Sakura said cynically.

"Be that as it may," Kero chimed in. "You know what you have to do."

"Look at it this way," Madison said cheerfully. "We can do a lot of sightseeing in the meantime."

"Maybe you're right," Sakura smiled. "It might not be as bad as I think."

* * *

So far it wasn't good. It was about an hour's wait in line to get into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame museum and things didn't get easier with Sakura having to hold a duffle bag that held Li's sword. Sakura did take advantage of that time and checked in with Tori. Again, she let Tori believe she was still in Boston. She was in enough trouble as it was, she couldn't tell Tori she was going cross-country. What would he think then?

Finally, they got in, which cost Madison a cool $60. Although they were there for a reason, Sakura knew she would never get another opportunity like this. So they went around looking through each exhibit. Sakura tried hard not to forget why she was there, but she did want to take advantage of this opportunity. Then they all stopped at the last exhibit.

Madison pointed it out first. "John Lennon. This exhibition was opened shortly after the 20th anniversary of his tragic death."

"Wasn't he the reason the Beatles broke up?" Li asked curiously.

"You're thinking of his girlfriend, Yoko Ono," Madison replied. "They went out and it didn't take too long for the Beatles to break up. They were quite an item. In fact…these are two kimonos right here."

Sakura looked at that part of the exhibition. There were two kimonos, one black and red, another pink and red, that were worn by John and Yoko in 1980. They looked a lot like the kimonos her dad had stashed away.

They continued looking at the John Lennon exhibition until Sakura heard something.

"Do you hear…music?"

Sakura didn't even wait for an answer. It was because she began to sense the next American Card. But when she stopped, she didn't find a walking cork. Instead she found…a stage. Finally, everyone caught up to her and looked up at the stage.

"It's not here," Li said. He obviously sensed the card, too.

Sakura felt it was nearby, but she obviously was in the wrong place, unless she couldn't see it through the crowd. She could see the people gathered around and Sakura saw why. There was a display that read: Battle of the Bands. A band of four, two guitars, one drum, and a singer, started to take their place on stage. Sakura was starting to like that she stumbled in here.

Meilin echoed her thoughts. "Maybe we could make the best of this."

Li, Madison, and Meilin went to find some standing room, but Sakura was stopped by a nagging voice.

"You're getting distracted again, Sakura."

"Relax, Kero," Sakura said casually. "I'll find the card soon. Just relax and…have a peanut."

"I want the whole bag," Kero insisted.

"Ok, but don't make a mess." Sakura took the bag of peanuts in her pocket and put it in her other pocket, where Kero started digging in. As unnerved as he was over the release of the American Cards, Kero's soft spot was still his stomach.

Sakura met her friends, standing behind the crowd (being inconspicuous, no doubt). The band was warming up. Then they were introduced and the lead singer, with guitar in hand, walked up to the microphone. The first chord on the guitar was struck creating…

…Silence.

Sakura gasped and looked up at the stage. The band was playing and each instrument was playing. But there was literally no sound. The crowd was lively…but they weren't making any sound, either. Sakura shook her pocket.

"What? I'm eating here."

"Come out, Kero," Sakura said. "Take a look at this."

Kero stuck his head out and looked at the stage. The band was moving and playing, but there was no sound. Sakura felt like she could hear a pin drop.

Li pieced it together first. "It's the Silence Card. It's here somewhere, but we have to be careful."

"Then why can I still hear you guys?" Sakura asked.

Madison tried to say something, but nothing could be heard. It appeared that the Silence Card had affected her, too. Meilin tried to say something to Li, but no sound came from her, either. It looked like Meilin was trying to raise her voice…but nothing could be heard. Li dragged Sakura outside to an empty part of the museum.

"Looks like we're the only ones not affected," he said. "It's going to be up to us, but we're going to have to draw the Silence Card out somehow."

"So how do we do it?" Sakura asked.

Li shook his head. "No…when I said 'we', I meant me, Madison, and Meilin. You need to wait outside with the wand. As soon as we lure the Silence Card outside, you can seal it."

"Be careful, Li," Sakura told him. "I'll be waiting out here."

Sakura ran straight for the nearest exit and walked out the door. She went through her duffle bag and took out Li's sword and gave it to him. Then she looked to make sure no one was around and took out her key.

"Key of Clow. Power of Magic. Power of Light. Surrender the wand. The force ignite. Release!"

Things were frustrating. The winds were blowing and there was literally no sound coming from the breeze. There was nothing to do now. All Sakura could do was wait…and hope her friends could come through.

* * *

Li gathered Madison and Meilin and they huddled up. It was time for the game plan.

"We split up," Li began. "The silence didn't start until we came in here, so chances are, the Silence Card is still here. We'll walk through the crowd and look everywhere until we find it. Remember, Sakura said it looked like a walking cork. So if anyone sees a walking cork, walk back to the bathroom door and we'll meet back there. Let's go!"

They broke the huddle and split up. Li made his way through the crowd, who were moving around, obviously panicked by the sudden silence. He looked up on stage and found nothing. Obviously, something like the Silence Card wouldn't just be out in the open. Li looked up at the windows and didn't find anything.

He went up to the now abandoned stage and looked behind the curtain, but saw no sign of a walking cork. Then he looked back at the bathroom. He saw Madison and Meilin waving at him. Li jumped off the stage and ran to the bathroom door.

"What'd you find?" Li asked.

Of course, this is where things got difficult. Since neither one of them could speak, Madison tried to communicate using the universal language: charades.

Li tried to keep up. "Um…ok…first word. It's…two syllables. Ok…um…pointing…it's…skirt? No. Um…bottom? No. Oh…behind? Behind! All right…um…second word…it's one syllable. Um…hair? No…Air! AIR! Ok…third word. One syllable. Um…what are you doing? Wait…quack? No…duck? No…not duck…DUCT. Behind air duct!"

Li tried to look at the air duct through the corner of his eye. He could barely make out the Silence Card sitting behind the grate, but he didn't want the walking cork to see him. If it knew it was discovered, it would run away. Li knew what he had to do. It was Jersey all over again.

"Wait here, Madison," Li instructed. "Meilin, get in position over there and get ready to chase the Silence Card when it comes down. I'll be right back. Oh…and Madison? Get this on tape."

Li walked into the men's room, which by now had been abandoned. He stood up on one of the toilets, accidentally flushing it…to no sound. He climbed up and pulled out the grate of the air duct. Then he held up his sword.

"Force, know my plight! Release the light! Fire!"

A big flame shot out into the air duct, which went all the way in. Li expected to hear a big whoosh, but there was no sound. He couldn't see where the flame went, but he hoped it went where he thought. Li jumped off the toilet (his landing created no sound) and ran out of the bathroom. Just like he hoped, the flame flushed the Silence Card out and onto the front of the stage, where it landed with no sound. Meilin saw it in front of her and started chasing it towards Li.

The cork stopped on a dime as soon as it saw Li and took an abrupt right turn. Li gave chase and Madison followed with her camera in hand. Everything was going perfectly. The Silence Card was now running towards the exit door, which was ajar. It ran out, but then was met by Sakura, who was primed and ready.

"Silence Card! Return to your power confined! Silence Card!"

The Silence Card stumbled right into Sakura and was now sealed. Li breathed a sigh of relief, but decided to try a test. He pinched Meilin in the arm.

"OW!"

Li grinned. The silence was broken. "Sorry…just had to be sure." He looked at Sakura. "Great capture, Sakura."

"I think we can all take credit for this," Sakura said cheerfully.

"Hold it," Madison waved. "That's a perfect shot. Hold that pose."

Sakura posed for the camera while Li stuffed his sword in the duffel bag. The American Card of Cleveland had been sealed. Now the only thing was to find the next one.

Kero echoed his thoughts. "We have to find the next one, Sakura. You'd better take out Vision."

Sakura sighed and pulled out the Vision Card. Li just stood there and waited for Sakura find where the next American Card was.

"Vision! Release!"

Then it happened again. As with every other instance that Sakura called on the Vision Card, her eyes went blank. She stood frozen again. She was in the midst of her next vision. After another scary few minutes, the blank stare went away and Sakura stumbled forward. Li held her up and she gazed into his eyes.

Sakura was breathing heavily. "I…know where it is."

* * *

Kevin Carter waited in his hotel room in Charlotte. He couldn't believe that Cole wanted them to wait there. This was such a waste of his time. He could've been arranging for his vacation, but instead he was out on a wild goose chase. There haven't been any solid leads. They only seemed to arrive just in time to pick up the pieces. Finally, his phone rang.

"That might be our next lead," Cole said bluntly.

Carter sneered and picked up the phone. "Carter. Find anything, Chris?"

_"Um…you might want to turn on ESPN right now."_

"For what?"

_"Just do it!"_

Carter picked up the remote control and turned the TV to ESPN, which was showing NFL Prime Time. All he could see were highlights of the playoff game between the Tennessee Titans and the Baltimore Ravens.

"I don't see nothing."

_"Wait for it."_

Then Carter saw what he meant. He saw Jermaine Lewis backing up to receive a kickoff, and instead got dozens and dozens of footballs.

"Coincidence," Carter scoffed.

_"There's more."_

Carter could see that there was more. He saw the highlight of Eddie George running in a touchdown…and handing the ball to a certain Japanese girl.

"No. No way," Carter said in shock. "There's no way they could have been there, too."

"Still don't believe me?" he heard Cole ask.

"I don't know what to do, Chris," Carter said, ignoring Cole. "I just wish there was a way to actually be a step ahead of these four."

_"I can't do anything about that, bro. All I can do is offer you another lead if I get one. Good luck."_

Carter hung up in frustration. "I cannot believe this. How long are we supposed to do this, man?"

Cole got to his feet and started heading out. "As long as it takes."

  


Any comments? Then mail me at AmericanCaptor@hotmail.com and don't forget to review below.


	14. Pollution in Detroit

Author's Note: The card capture in this chapter will be brief, because I want to get our Cardcaptors to their next destination. I plan for the next chapter to be long…and significant.

  


Cards captured so far: Vision, Heat, Vine, Bell, Sleep, Wind, Angel, Sludge, Multiple, and Silence

  


**CCS: The American Cards: Part 14**

  


Sakura couldn't help but notice one thing once she got to Detroit. The city was more polluted than any she had ever seen. Even through her hotel window, she could see the smog outside. In fact, there was a whole lot of smog.

"Is there supposed to be this much smog?" Sakura asked her friends.

"I hope not," Meilin said first. "I could barely breathe on my way in here."

"I didn't think Detroit was supposed to be THIS polluted," Li added.

"It's a little too much pollution," Madison said, looking at the _Detroit Free Press_. "In fact, some factories have been forced to close because of it."

"Wait, I thought factories CAUSED the pollution," Meilin thought.

"There's been a lot of pollution inside the factories," Madison clarified. "Most of the plants that manufacture cars have been forced to evacuate because of excess smoke. It's been like that for the last week."

"Wait a minute," Kero suddenly said. "That…doesn't make any sense."

"What do you mean, Kero?" Sakura asked.

"Well, let's think about it," he explained. "If factories and plants have been shut down for over a week, then there shouldn't be this much pollution around. I doubt that they left the factories on. So the pollution should be decreasing, not increasing. This reeks of an American Card."

"But what American Card makes pollution?" Sakura wondered.

"The Smoke Card," Li answered. "It's the only one I can think of."

"That's the one," Kero confirmed. "If the Smoke Card's on the loose and attacking plants, then it's best we get it at night. There should be no one around at that time. We'll just go around Detroit with the Lasin Board."

"That could take hours," Sakura said.

Kero shook his head. "Doesn't matter. We can't leave the Smoke Card loose. It's hard to even breathe in this city."

Sakura just wandered over towards he window. It looked like she wouldn't get much time to enjoy the sights of Detroit, Michigan. She would have to spend this night going up against an American Card that didn't know when to stop smoking. But the first thing she had to do was…

"Madison, can I use your phone?"

* * *

Sakura finally found what she was looking for. It took a few hours of wandering around Detroit wearing a big red skirt with a pink vest, her ever-present Santa hat, and of course, her wand, but the Lasin Board finally found the next American Card. The four were standing outside a closed plant, where the Lasin Board had directed them. Sakura could make out the sign on the gate.

**General Motors**

Sakura knew what she had to do know, but it wouldn't be easy to get into the plant.

"There's no opening anywhere," Li said. "The plant's sealed shut." He glanced over at Sakura. "But there may be something you can do."

Sakura sweatdropped nervously. "Um…isn't there another way?"

"You have to learn how to use it sooner or later, Sakura," Kero said solemnly. "Might as well be now."

"Go ahead, Sakura," Madison added, now pointing her camera at Sakura.

She had to do it. Sakura took out the Angel Card and braced herself.

"Angel Card! Release!"

It started to happen again. Sakura could feel the angel's wings coming out of her back. She could feel the aura starting to surround her. Her friends backed up as the Angel Card took effect.

"I don't know about this," Sakura said nervously. "I'm still not used to it."

"I'll be right here," Li assured her. "If you fall, I'll catch you."

Sakura closed her eyes and concentrated hard. She could hear the wings flapping, then she sensed that she wasn't on solid ground anymore. Sakura opened her eyes to see she was up in the sky, just ten feet above the ground. She did it. She was instantly overjoyed.

"Hey, guys! I'm…AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"

She lost focus. Sakura started to fall, and she fell right into the arms of Li. Sakura got to her feet and took a deep breath. She was shaken up.

"You did better that time, Sakura," Kero offered. "You just have to concentrate."

"I started to like it," Sakura admitted. "…Until I fell."

"I still can't believe that was you, Sakura," Meilin said.

"If I didn't get it on tape, I wouldn't have believed it," Madison added. "Come on, Sakura. One more time!"

Sakura breathed deeply again and closed her eyes. Then her wings started to flap and she sensed she was moving again. Then she opened her eyes again and could see she was flying directly above the point she was standing on earlier.

"Uh…Kero?" Sakura began. "…How do I move forward?"

"This is a test," Kero responded. "You have to figure out the Angel Card on your own."

At first, it was just like swimming. It was all a matter of turning towards her destination and positioning herself. Then she started moving forward, stumbling a bit on the way, until she was passed the gate. Then came the hard part. Sakura had to make the landing. She tried to maintain her focus, but couldn't. Instead, about halfway down, Sakura fell to the concrete below.

"Are you all right, Sakura?" Li asked from the other side of the gate.

"I'm fine," Sakura groaned. She stayed on the ground for a moment, then got back up. "I was doing fine until the landing."

"Don't worry about it, kid," Kero said comfortingly. "You did great. You're starting to get the hang of it. Now let's get in there and catch ourselves an American Card."

Sakura was about to go inside. Then she heard Meilin ask Li a big question.

"So how are we getting in, Li?"

"Um…we don't."

"We don't?" Meilin asked. "You mean Sakura's going in alone?"

Li looked over at Sakura. "You can do it…right, Sakura?"

Sakura hesitated at first. Doing this without any of her friends at her side sounded tough. But she shook it off. She always had Kero at her side.

"I'll be right back," Sakura finally said. "But use the Lasin Board for me. I need to know where to go."

Li held the Lasin Board out again. "Source of Light! With ancient spin! Send forth the magic! Power within! Force, know my plight! Release the light!"

The Lasin Board pointed towards a nearby warehouse. It was helpful to say the least. But Sakura still couldn't help but feel nervous. She was about to go into her next battle with Kero as her only ally. She walked towards the warehouse while recalling the Angel Card. When she opened the front double doors, she immediately started coughing. The warehouse was filled with smoke.

To clear the air, Sakura pulled out Windy. "Windy! Release!"

The Wind Card started blowing through the inside of the warehouse and began to clear the smoke. Sakura could see the Smoke Card. Like the 2nd Card Fog, it looked like a walking foghorn. Sakura recalled the Wind Card and ran towards it, but it started blowing smoke in her face and started jumping on some of the crates. Sakura dove towards it, but it jumped out of the way and she went crashing through a stack of crates.

The Smoke Card was standing over a big crate and started blowing smoke again. The warehouse was starting to fill up with the putrid black smoke.

"I can't see anything over here!" Kero shouted. "Time to use Windy again?"

"I have a better idea," Sakura replied. She took out the Vision Card. "Vision! Show me the Smoke Card! Release and dispel! Vision!"

Sakura began to see through the smoke and saw where the Smoke Card was standing. She could also see what was above it. It was a big motor engine hanging by a chain. The chain was being held up by a crane. Sakura knew she could take the Smoke Card out if she turned the crane. So she pulled out the Vine Card.

"Vine Card! Pull the crane! Release and dispel! Vine Card!"

A big vine rose out of the card and extended towards the crane's lever. The vine pulled the lever and the crane released. The motor engine fell and landed on top of the Smoke Card. The smoke stopped coming out as the Smoke Card was knocked out. Sakura made her way through the smoke and went up to the Smoke Card.

"Smoke Card! Return to your power confined! Smoke Card!"

Finally, the smoke from the warehouse cleared and Sakura could actually see in front of her. Since the Smoke Card was sealed, she could breathe clearly as well.

"Ah, fresh air," Kero sighed in relief. "You did it, Sakura! You sealed the Smoke Card…on your own."

"I guess I did," Sakura realized. "Sealing a card by myself kind of brought back some memories. I…never got to seal cards by myself that much." Sakura looked at her watch. "Oh, it's late. They're probably starting to worry. I'd better go back."

Kero flew in front of her. "Wait, Sakura. Shouldn't we use the Vision Card now? You know, just to get it out of the way?"

Sakura couldn't argue with that. "I guess so." She took out the Vision Card. "Vision! Show me the next card! Release and dispel! Vision!"

* * *

Li waited anxiously. Sakura was taking a long time and he was starting to worry about her. He knew she more than capable of taking care of herself, but still…he worried.

"You think she can do it?" Meilin asked.

"Of course she can," Madison responded. "She'll be fine. I know she can do this."

"Still, I know she could use our help," Meilin went on. "I don't think she's supposed to be taking this long."

Li didn't say anything. He just waited…and waited. Finally, he could see someone coming out and flying overhead. It was Sakura, using the Angel Card. She descended slowly in front of Li and landed perfectly.

"Great landing," Li said softly.

Sakura smiled warmly. "Thanks."

"What took you so long?" Li asked. "I was starting to think something happened."

"We stalled," Kero answered for her. "We used the Vision Card in advance. And now we know where to go next."

"Where?" Madison asked eagerly. "Where do we go next?"

"Chicago," Sakura answered. "The next card is in Chicago. But…but…." She paused.

"What is it?" Li asked.

"I couldn't make out what card it was," Sakura continued. "All I saw was…a heart. A walking heart."

"A walking heart?" Li repeated. "I'm not sure I remember that card."

"Neither do I," Kero added. "What card could come in the shape of a heart?"

Li really wanted to remember, but he couldn't. He knew pretty much everything there was to know about the one-and-a-half books that Clow Reed made, but this one card seemed to elude him. He would only have until he got to Chicago to figure it out.

* * *

Author's Note: The series takes a twist in the next few chapters. What's the next American Card?

  


Come back and find out. Until then, don't forget to review below.


	15. Bad memories in Chicago

Author's Note: No bus trip or nothing. We get right into this because this chapter will have an impact on the rest of this series. What could the next card be?

  


Cards captured so far: Vision, Heat, Vine, Bell, Sleep, Wind, Angel, Sludge, Multiple, Silence, and Smoke

  


**CCS: The American Cards: Part 15**

  


Sakura looked around everywhere. There was no costume this time around, because it was just plain COLD. She couldn't expect anything less from a place called the Windy City. The cold didn't seem to bother Li and Meilin. They wore their usual.

They had spent the whole night looking around Chicago for the next American Card, but the Lasin Board was taking them all on a wild goose chase. This next card seemed to be on the move. Finally, the Lasin Board led them to a big place called Lincoln Park. But as soon as they all got in, something bizarre happened. The Lasin Board's light split into four directions: North, West, East, and Northeast.

"How did that happen?" Sakura asked.

"That's never happened before," Li said in amazement. "I guess…we have no choice but to split up."

"But what do we do if we find the card?" Meilin asked.

Madison reached into her purse and took out three walkie-talkies. They were the ones that she had since Sakura first hunted for the Clow Cards, eight years ago. She handed one to Meilin and another one to Li.

"We'll call each other if any of us find it," Madison explained. "The three of us will meet and Li can call for Sakura using his sword."

"Sounds good," Kero piped up. "But we'd better hurry. This card's been moving all night. It might not be here for long. And remember…we're looking for a walking heart."

The four of them split up and went their separate ways. Sakura could feel it in the pit of her stomach that this would be a long night.

* * *

Meilin looked in front of her to see that she was walking towards the park's giant pond. She didn't see anything at first, but she was determined. This was Meilin's big opportunity to prove herself. For a while, she'd always felt she was being a third wheel. But this was her chance to actually help take down a card…whatever it was.

But that's when she began to get a headache. The headache was strong, more like a migraine. Meilin fell to her knees and closed her eyes. Then she opened them to see that she wasn't in the park…but…back in Hong Kong…back home. She could feel this was an out-of-body experience. Because she could see herself…right in front of her eyes. She saw a younger version of herself…and Li. She tried to see what she was saying.

"WHAT do you need the money for, Li?"

Li scratched his head nervously. "For…a plane ticket."

"A plane ticket? For what? So you can see HER?"

Meilin gasped. She remembered this. This was…five years ago. This was back when…Li left Hong Kong…to go back to Japan. This was such a painful moment for her. Why was she seeing this again?

The conversation went on exactly as it did five years ago, word for word. Then she saw the most painful part of that memory.

"You ARE coming back, aren't you?"

Li looked back. "I…I'm not sure. I really can't tell you."

Meilin saw herself take out a wad of cash and hand it to Li. "Take it. Take it and go."

Li hesitated for a moment. "Meilin…?"

"GO! Go before I change my mind!"

Li took the money and slowly walked out the door. "Goodbye, Meilin…and thank you."

Meilin watched that moment again as Li walked out that door for the last time. Then she saw herself break down in tears. It was such an emotional moment for her. She couldn't stand to see that again. Then the vision faded. But Meilin didn't move. She just laid there on the ground…thinking back to that moment. Why…WHY did she have to see that again?

* * *

Li rushed through the park, still holding the Lasin Board. Since he and his friends split up, it went back to a single line of light. Then he reached an isolated part of the park, where he was surrounded by four trees. The Lasin Board's light began to split up again. It pointed five ways into the sky. Li stopped moving. He didn't know where to go next.

Then he started to get a headache…more like a migraine. He fell to his knees and his vision began to blur. Then he opened his eyes to find himself…in the airport…Japan's airport. Then he looked in front of him to see a much younger version of himself…and Sakura.

"So is this goodbye?" Sakura asked sadly.

Li nodded. "I can't stay anymore. I have to go home now."

Li could see the hurt expression on the face of Sakura. It was so hard to see her like that. He couldn't stand it. But why was he seeing her like that?

Sakura hung her head down. "I'll miss you."

Li saw himself turn to leave…on that plane to Hong Kong. Then he saw the tears on Sakura's face.

"Li? You…will come back…won't you?"

Li's younger self turned around. "Not for a very long time. But………I'll come back someday………I promise."

Sakura couldn't stop herself from crying and Li saw his younger self start shedding a tear as he left. He never forgot this moment. It always lurked in the back of his mind. It was the moment he always wished he would never have to repeat. It was the moment his family demanded he repeat. His family wanted him to leave Sakura…but Li would have none of that.

Still, it hurt him to see that again. Why was Li seeing this again?

* * *

For the first time in a while, Madison had her camera off. Mostly because its battery was starting to run low, but Madison had all her focus on finding the American Card that was loose. Then she found herself in Lincoln Park's conservatory, which was empty. She looked over at the plants and couldn't help but marvel at them. She hadn't seen plants like this since she was back in Japan.

Then she started to feel a very strong headache…a migraine, even. She started to fall to her knees and began to hold her head. Then she stuck her head up to see she was back in Japan, in a familiar place. It was Penguin Park. She looked around and gasped when she saw Sakura…but a younger Sakura. Then she looked over to see Li…frozen in a block of ice. And she saw herself…stuck atop a tree branch.

It finally hit Madison what she was seeing. This was…five years ago…back when Sakura had sealed the final 2nd Card and closed the book. This was a big moment for her, but it wasn't such a fond moment for Madison. Because she remembered what happened after Sakura got her down from the tree. Sure enough, when Madison's younger self was taken down from the tree, she began to look around. Madison knew who she was looking for. She was looking for Tommy Canton, whom she had unceremoniously dumped, because he released the 2nd Cards and had them wreak their havoc.

"Where is he?" Madison heard herself ask. She remembered what happened. Tommy regretted what he had done and helped to stop the Psychic Card…but then he disappeared.

"I don't see him," Sakura answered. "…He's gone."

Madison saw herself break down. She didn't say anything, but Madison remembered everything she thought at that emotional moment. She genuinely liked this guy…and he had betrayed her…but then tried to make up for it. Madison called him a liar. She said he never liked her. But she then realized that he really did like her. He tried to make things right…but then left.

"NO!" Madison shouted to herself. She didn't want to see this. Then she opened her eyes again to see she was somewhere else.

It was the airport…in Japan. She remembered what happened this night, too. And she wouldn't be able to take this.

"NO!" Madison shouted again. "Not this!"

Madison remembered exactly what happened this day, and she shuddered to think of it. And sure enough, that's when she saw someone in front of her. It was the gentle blue-haired boy from England. It was Eriol. This was the moment…Madison couldn't stand to see again.

"Do you have to leave?" Madison heard herself ask.

Eriol nodded. "I can't stay here, Madison. You know that. I have to go back home."

"But…isn't there any chance you can stay?" Madison's younger self pleaded.

Eriol shook his head. "I'm really sorry. I wish I could…but I can't. I really have to go home. I've stayed here too long."

"But Eriol…"

"Don't make this any harder than it already is! You know this is hard for me, too. But…my flight's leaving. Goodbye."

Eriol started to walk away. Madison saw her younger self try to go after him, but she couldn't get through the crowd of people in the airport. By the time she got a clear path, Eriol was gone.

Madison remembered this moment for so long. She could hardly go a day without thinking about it. But now this wound that was just beginning to heal had reemerged. Madison tried so hard to forget it, but it came back to haunt her. Madison broke down and started crying. She couldn't take it. She wanted this vision to end.

* * *

Sakura could sense this card nearby. She started walking towards the grass in the middle of the park. It was very unusual that there was no one around. But Sakura realized that it was luck. Maybe this American Card liked privacy. Then she started to feel a splitting headache…one that felt like a migraine.

Then Sakura fell to her knees and closed her eyes. When she opened them…she saw herself in the airport…back in Japan. She was a lot younger…in fact…she was 10. This was eight years ago. She remembered this time…it was back when…NO…she couldn't be seeing this again. Not again!

Sure enough, there was Li. He had his bags packed and ready to go. He was going back to Hong Kong. He was leaving Sakura's life.

"So is this goodbye?" Sakura asked sadly.

Li nodded. "I can't stay anymore. I have to go home now."

Sakura didn't want to see this again. She was burying her face in her hands. She didn't want to see what happened next.

"Sakura?" Kero suddenly asked. "What is it?"

"I don't want to see this again!" Sakura shouted.

But she was. The flashback went on as it had last time.

"I'll miss you," Sakura said emotionally.

Li turned to leave. Sakura was hanging her head down sadly. "Li? You…will come back…won't you?"

Sakura couldn't take this much longer. This was such torture for her to see. Then she heard Kero.

"Sakura! Whatever you're seeing? It's the Memory Card! You can overcome what you see! Just think of something good that came out of whatever you're seeing!"

Something good? What possible good came out of this moment? This was so depressing. Being forced to watch Li walk away from her life was the worst thing in the world. Then she saw Li's response.

"Not for a very long time. But………I'll come back someday………I promise."

Then it hit Sakura. She got to her feet and looked at her younger self.

"This was the worst day of my life…because I thought Li would leave me forever. But he didn't. He came back to me…just like he promised! I'm not going to be haunted by the past, Memory Card!"

The memory started to fade…and Sakura was back in Lincoln Park. Then she looked in front of her to see the heart on two legs. It was the Memory Card. And it didn't try to get away. It knew it was beaten, so it just stood there as Sakura approached it.

"Memory Card! Return to your power confined! Memory Card!"

When Sakura held the Memory Card in her hand, she wondered about an unfinished issue.

"Kero? Why did the Lasin Board point in four directions?"

"I think I might know the answer," Kero replied. "You might not have been the Memory Card's only target…or victim."

"You think the others might have seen something like I saw?"

"I hope not. The Memory Card is capable of bringing out a person's most painful memory until that person remembers the good that came from that day…if any. It could leave them scarred for a very long time. And the residual effects are unpredictable."

Sakura wondered about that. If the Memory Card did indeed strike the others, she wondered what kind of memories they could have seen. She had a feeling she would find out sooner or later.

  


Author's Note: Hmm…not much so far. But the Memory Card leaves a lasting impact that no one could have foreseen. How does the fallout threaten Sakura and Li's relationship? S+S fans, come back tomorrow…and be afraid.

  


Until then, don't forget to review below.


	16. That fateful day in St. Louis

Author's Note: A trip to St. Louis starts out as business as usual. Of course, today's card is a mere formality. In this chapter…something will happen that will threaten Li and Sakura's relationship.

  


Cards captured so far: Vision, Heat, Vine, Bell, Sleep, Wind, Angel, Sludge, Multiple, Silence, Smoke, and Memory

  


**CCS: The American Cards: Part 16**

  


Usually, Sakura would sit next to Madison on the bus. But for this trip to St. Louis, Sakura needed to talk to the person she loved most. She had to talk to Li. And when she saw the look on his face, she knew he had something to say, too. But first thing was first. She pulled out Kero.

"What?" Kero mumbled softly.

"I need to talk to Li alone," Sakura told him, so no one would hear her. "Stay with Madison and Meilin for a few minutes."

Sakura walked over and dropped Kero with Madison and went back to sit with Li. She didn't know how to begin. There was so much she wanted to say…about what happened the night before in Chicago.

"Did…you see anything last night?" Sakura began.

Li hesitated, then nodded. "From the Memory Card? I saw something."

Sakura was almost afraid to ask. "What did you see?"

Li didn't say anything. Sakura couldn't blame him…but she had to know. She took his hand.

"You can tell me, Li."

"I…saw the airport," Li finally said. "It was that day eight years ago…when I left Japan the first time."

"You saw that, too?" Sakura gasped.

"What do you mean?" Li asked curiously. "Did you see the same thing?"

"I saw the same thing," Sakura told him. "The day you left me…it was the saddest day of my life."

"Mine, too."

"But I overcame the Memory Card…by remembering one thing. You kept your promise. You came back to me. And you'll never leave me again, right?"

Silence.

Sakura was starting to get scared. "…Right?"

"I'm glad you were able to see the bright side of that moment," Li finally replied. "I couldn't. I was so scared about having to relive that moment. It would've happened…if my family had their way."

Sakura hung her head down. She didn't realize how afraid of that possibility Li really was. But she also couldn't shake the cold reality. Li had forsaken his family…for her. Just then, Li gently lifted Sakura's chin and gave her a kiss.

"But I'll never let that happen," he said.

Sakura started to think that maybe something good came out of the Memory Card. If she or Li were starting to take their relationship for granted, they weren't anymore. Sakura really appreciated what she had now…a loving boyfriend…who would sacrifice anything for her.

For the rest of the trip to St. Louis…Sakura laid back into the arms of Li.

* * *

Once again, night had fallen. Sakura could sense the location of the next American Card and the Lasin Board confirmed its location. But she couldn't help but notice the demeanors of her friends. Li was still unsure about his experience the night before. Meilin was shaken up about her experience, too. But Meilin was a tough girl. She carried on, shaking off the bad memories. The one Sakura was worried about was Madison. She didn't say anything all day. She didn't even have a costume ready for Sakura. And in a move completely unlike her…she didn't recharge the battery on her camera. She couldn't tape this capture.

Sakura wanted to say something, but she had a job to do. Kero kept her focused on the task of finding the next American Card, which was in St. Louis's Gateway Arch, the highest monument in the United States. The park was closed off for the night, but that wouldn't stop Sakura. She took out her key…

"Key of Clow. Power of Magic. Power of Light. Surrender the wand. The force ignite. Release!"

…and took out the Sleep Card.

"Sleep Card! Send everyone in the park to sleep! Release and dispel! Sleep Card!"

The Sleep Card sprayed its pollen all over the park. It was a long and tedious wait, but soon, Gateway Arch's security was in a deep sleep. The only thing left was to walk in and look for the next card. After a few minutes of walking, Sakura found herself directly under the Gateway Arch. She looked straight up and felt a little queasy. It really was HIGH. Then she started to hear rattling.

"Do…you hear that?" Sakura whispered.

Silence. Everyone heard the rattling as it slowly began to get louder.

Li could make the sound out. "It sounds like…"

He couldn't get the last word out. Out of nowhere, a long metal chain flew out and tied Li up. He fell to the ground as he struggled to get loose.

"Li!" Meilin shouted. "Are you ok?"

"It's the Chain Card!" Li responded. "It's…TIGHT! I can't get loose!"

Meilin bent down and tried to loosen the chain's grip. "Don't just stand there, Avalon! Do something!"

Sakura heard the rattling again. She could see Madison point behind her.

"Sakura! Look out!"

Sakura ducked as another metal chain flew by her. Unfortunately, the chain then nailed Madison and tied her up. Sakura scowled as she saw what happened. The Chain Card tried to ambush her. Sakura then began to sense it was nearby. So she quickly pulled out the Vine Card.

"Vine Card! Restrain the Chain Card! Release and dispel! Vine Card!"

A big vine rose out of the ground in front of Sakura and went straight for a bush nearby. Then it pulled the Chain Card out by the leg. It was a gray, stocky, and stumpy mummy that was wrapped in chains instead of tape. The Chain Card wasn't held for long. It sliced the vine with one of its sharper chains and got loose. Then it tried to throw three more chains at Sakura. But Sakura acted fast.

"Windy! Release!"

The Wind Card released just in time as it blew the chains out of reach. Sensing a long battle, the Chain Card pointed to the sky. It then threw one of its chains up and started climbing. The Chain Card was climbing to the top of the Gateway Arch.

"This is not good," Kero muttered. "That looks like a very high place."

Sakura felt a little nervous. Maybe someone could help her. She looked to her left. "Have you got him loose, Meilin?"

"NO!" Meilin snapped. "These chains are stuck! I still can't get them loose."

"Just go after it, Sakura," Li told her. "You can do it!"

Sakura nodded nervously and looked up at the sky again. The Gateway Arch was very, VERY high at 630 feet tall. She knew there was only one way up there. Sakura took out the Angel Card and sighed deeply.

"Angel Card! Release!"

Sakura could feel the sudden expansion of the large wings. Then she looked up again. It would be a long flight straight up.

"Ready, Kero?"

"Ready for takeoff."

Sakura jumped off the ground and took off into the sky. She flew alongside the edge of the Gateway Arch until she reached the very top where she saw the Chain Card standing. It was ready for a duel. Sakura concentrated hard as she made the gentle landing on top and then she got ready for a fight.

The Chain Card began by swinging a chain at Sakura. Sakura caught the chain with her arm and held in the pain from the sudden contact. Suddenly, it was down to a tug-o-war. Sakura pulled hard but felt herself being overpowered by the Chain Card. Then the Chain Card tried playing dirty and swinging the chain left and right in an attempt to knock Sakura off. Then Sakura realized something. This wasn't a competition. There weren't any rules. So Sakura would out-cheat the Chain Card. With her free hand, she took out…

"Smoke Card! Fill the sky with smoke! Release and dispel! Smoke Card!"

The Smoke Card came out and blew smoke into the sky and left it black. Sakura knew this was a risk. One wrong step and she would take a 630-foot fall. But this risk was worth taking. The Chain Card couldn't see in front of it and started staggering around blindly, still holding onto its chain. Sakura quickly took action. She flew around the Chain Card and tied it up, before pushing it over the edge of the Gateway Arch. The Chain Card fell, but was still hanging. The chain acted as a bungee cord, with one end of the chain wrapped around the Chain Card and the other end…in Sakura's hands. Of course, the Chain Card was pretty heavy and Sakura knew she couldn't hold onto it. So she flew off the edge of the Gateway Arch and slowly descended to the ground.

When she landed, the Chain Card tried to shake itself loose. Before it could get away, Sakura pointed her wand.

"Chain Card! Return to your power confined! Chain Card!"

The Chain Card was then sealed. Sakura put the Chain Card away and recalled the Angel Card. Then Sakura looked over towards Meilin. She was still trying to free Li. She wanted to help, but there was someone else who needed her help. Sakura ran over to Madison.

"Are you ok?" Sakura asked.

Madison didn't say anything, but only nodded. Sakura didn't know what to make of this. Something was obviously wrong with her best friend. Sakura couldn't help but wonder what.

* * *

"Are you going to be ok?"

Madison nodded. Sakura was desperate to find out what was wrong, but Madison didn't want to say anything. It was a gloomy atmosphere in that hotel room.

"You sure you don't want to come with us?" Sakura asked.

Madison shook her head. "You go on ahead without me. I'll stay here."

Sakura headed out. Now it was down to her and Meilin. Li was already out, saying he wanted to be alone. It looked like Madison had that same feeling. Sakura reluctantly headed for the door.

"Madison…?"

"I just want to be alone," Madison said softly. "Please, Sakura."

Sakura didn't want to leave, but it was Kero that coaxed her. "Just go, Sakura. She needs some time to herself."

It wasn't until Sakura was out the door that Kero elaborated further.

"Call me crazy, but it might a residual effect from the Memory Card. She might have seen something…that left her emotions in shambles. She might not even be thinking straight."

Sakura looked back at the closed door. "I hope she'll be ok. I'm really worried about her."

* * *

It was a cold night, and that's why Li came back to the hotel. He really needed some time alone. As much as Sakura tried to reassure him, he still was unsure about what the Memory Card showed him. Part of that was from what Meilin told him a week ago. She really believed that Sakura wasn't meant for Li. If she wasn't…then he wouldn't have anybody since he had shunned his family for her.

Li thought about that as he walked up the hotel's stairs. Maybe he could talk to Sakura. He walked over to the door of her room, but stopped short of opening it. He heard someone…crying. Li opened the door and looked inside. Sakura wasn't there. The only one there…was a sobbing Madison.

"Madison?"

"Why won't anybody leave me alone?" Madison sniffled. "I don't want to talk to anybody!"

Li couldn't take a hint. So he took a seat on the bed right next to Madison. "Madison…you're my friend. I can't just leave you alone like this. What's wrong?"

Madison turned away. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Please tell me, Madison," Li pleaded. "I don't want to see you like this." Then he took a big stab in the dark. "It's the Memory Card, isn't it?"

Madison looked shocked. "…That's exactly it. That night in Chicago…I relived memories that I hoped to keep locked away forever."

"What did you see?" Li asked curiously.

Madison hesitated for a while. This must've been hard for her. "Do you remember the day Sakura sealed the last 2nd Card?"

"It was five years ago," Li nodded. "I…still don't remember much. I mean…Sakura did accidentally hit me with a stray ice beam."

"Did Sakura ever tell you how she beat the Psychic Card?"

Li knew exactly how to answer. "She told me she didn't do it alone. She had help from…"

Suddenly, that's when Li realized what Madison saw…actually…more like…who.

"It's him, isn't it?"

Madison nodded somberly. "My old boyfriend, Tommy. I don't know how many times I had to have slapped him. I called him a liar so many times. But…when he said he liked me…I think he may have meant it. Then he just…left. He never even said goodbye."

"It's ok, Madison," Li said comfortingly. "He wasn't worth it. Trust me. He wasn't good enough for you."

"But that wasn't the only thing I saw."

"You saw more?" Li asked. He couldn't understand that. He only saw one painful memory, but Madison had apparently seen more.

"It was…a few years before," Madison continued. "And…it was probably the saddest moment of my life. It was…Eriol."

Li shuddered to think about that. He knew how close Madison and Eriol got seven years ago. Then Eriol suddenly had to leave to go back to England. He knew that Madison felt something for him. He couldn't bear to think what the reminder of that day could have done to poor Madison.

Madison dried off some more tears. "I saw myself and Eriol at the airport…back when he had to leave. I really wanted to tell him…how I felt. But I couldn't bring myself to do it. He walked out of my life…forever. I couldn't take seeing that again. I feel so stupid, Li!"

"Madison…you have nothing to be ashamed of."

"I can't believe the rotten luck I've had! Any time I ever get close to somebody, they just walk out of my life! I think back to those days and the days I've had in high school and I think of every time I've gotten my heart broken! It's just heartbreak after heartbreak after heartbreak! Is there something wrong with me? Why doesn't anybody like me?!"

Madison buried her face in her hands and continued crying. Li didn't want to see her like this. He lifted her head up and let her cry onto his shoulder.

"Madison…" Li began. "You…are a beautiful girl. I don't see why anybody wouldn't like you. You're one of the nicest girls I've ever met. Please…I don't want to see you cry."

Madison lifted her head from Li's shoulder and dried a few more tears off. Then she looked Li in the eye. Li didn't know what happened next. He didn't know how it happened. He didn't know why it happened. Neither one of them did. But it happened.

In a completely spontaneous moment…Li and Madison………kissed.

As suddenly as it happened, that's how quickly the kiss broke up. Li was so overtaken that he fell backwards off the bed. Then he got up and looked at Madison. She was as shocked as he was. They stood there for about a minute, with their stunned expressions, and looked at each other.

Finally, Madison broke the silence. "………What…just…happened?"

Li had no idea how to answer. He didn't know what to make of what just happened. How did it happen? How did he end up…kissing Madison? WHY did he do it? And what would Sakura have said if she saw it? Li was thanking God that she didn't see it.

Li couldn't explain it. He could only say one thing. "………I've got to go."

Madison nodded. "Yeah…you should go."

Li nodded back. "I'm…going to go now."

He turned to walk out, but ran right into the door. Li was clearly flustered by this whole thing. He opened the door and ran out and slammed the door behind him. Li sat down on the floor and buried his face in his knees. He felt…so confused. Why did he do what he just did? He…just betrayed Sakura. What was he thinking? Why did he do it?

"Li?"

"AAH!"

Li was obviously edgy. He looked up and saw Sakura and Meilin. He felt like he wanted to die right there. He could never tell Sakura what just happened. She would NEVER forgive him or Madison. He didn't know what to do?

"Are you all right?" Meilin asked.

"Is something wrong, Li?" Sakura added.

"I suddenly feel very sick," Li said queasily. "I just need to go to my room."

Li got up and stumbled over to his room. He had to think about what he just did. And he had to think about why he did it…and what could possibly happen if Sakura EVER found out.

  


Author's Note: Well, I shook things up good. So what happens now? This sort of thing just doesn't go away. The question now is, will Sakura ever find out? And what will happen if she does? Happy Valentine's Day!

  


Any comments? I know you have some! So review below and let me know!


	17. Mount Rushmore and...

Author's Note: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Just like I intended, I shook things up last chapter and I got some major feedback (I am SO evil for doing that on Valentine's Day ^_^* ). So how long can this secret last?

  


Cards captured so far: Vision, Heat, Vine, Bell, Sleep, Wind, Angel, Sludge, Multiple, Silence, Smoke, Memory, and Chain

  


**CCS: The American Cards: Part 17**

  


Something was obviously wrong. Sakura couldn't quite put her finger on it, but something wasn't right. Madison had gotten worse. Now instead of being depressed, she was just…timid. Not only that, but now Li was suddenly becoming very edgy. Anytime Sakura approached him, he would to break into a cold sweat. She wondered if she should ask about it…or if it was another residual effect of the Memory Card.

Sakura couldn't deal with Li right now, though. She was far too worried about her best friend. So on this long trip to South Dakota, she would hopefully be able to comfort Madison. She looked at the seat next to her and saw her friend breathing heavily, practically sweating.

"Madison, please tell me what's wrong."

"W-W-Wrong?" Madison asked, almost fearfully. "T-T-T-There's nothing wrong. I-I'm just fine."

"Madison, why won't you tell me what's wrong?" Sakura sighed. Then she took a big guess. "Does it have anything to do with the Memory Card?"

Madison gasped. "H-How did you know that?"

"It got me just like it got you," Sakura answered. "Did you think it wouldn't effect me, too? I saw things I didn't want to remember…things I hoped would stay buried forever. I didn't want to see Li…walk towards that airplane. I didn't want to see that again."

"I…know what you mean," Madison conceded. "But…"

Silence.

"But what?"

"You overcame the Memory Card," Madison pointed out. "Your story ended happily, because Li came back. But I don't know if I'll ever find love the way you have."

"You will, Madison," Sakura assured her. "You're a wonderful person. I'm sure you'll find somebody. Who knows? Maybe the right guy is right in front of you."

Madison flinched nervously. "He's not in front of me. Trust me. How could he be right in front of me?" Then she composed herself. "But then again…maybe you're right. Maybe I will find somebody…someday."

"Are you going to be ok?"

Madison nodded. "I'll be fine. Thank you, Sakura."

"I'm just trying to help," Sakura smiled. "Now if I can only find out what's bothering Li."

Madison squeaked tensely. "L-Li? There's n-nothing wrong with Li, is there?"

"I want to believe that," Sakura said. "But he's been a bit more nervous than usual. I know we talked a few days ago, but he's still acting weird. It's as if there's something he's not telling me."

"I-I'm sure he's not hiding anything," Madison stuttered. "H-He wouldn't hide anything. M- Maybe he's j-just…getting over the shock from the Memory Card."

"I thought he'd have gotten over that by now," Sakura pointed out. "It's probably something else. It might be…"

"So where do you think the next card is?" Madison suddenly interrupted.

Sakura was taken by surprise, but she could understand. "Still a little jumpy? I can't blame you. But you'll be fine. Trust me. It's Li I'm worried about."

"Yeah…Li. So where do you think the next card is?"

"It's the big mountain with four heads carved on it. I know I've heard the name somewhere. It's Mount…something…Mount…"

"Rushmore," Madison finished for her. "The mountain with all the presidents' heads on it. There's a card up there?"

"That's what Vision showed me," Sakura answered. "But I also saw part of the mountain in flames."

"Did you say 'in flames'?" Kero suddenly asked. Kero stuck his head out of Sakura's bag. The mention of the next American Card actually pulled him away from his donut.

"It was in flames," Sakura reiterated. "Do you think the mountain's on fire?"

"If it is, then I hope it's natural," Kero replied. "If it isn't, then we may have the Fire Card on our hands."

Sakura moaned. She didn't want to have to deal with the Fire Card. She was dreading that inevitable confrontation. But it looked like the time was almost here. The Fire Card could very well be on top of Mount Rushmore…and it was up to Sakura to seal it.

* * *

Ten minutes passed since Carter got to Adelphia Coliseum. Already, Cole was running around asking questions and posing as a local Nashville police officer, which sounded really stupid to Carter. Things would have been so much easier if they could just tell people who they were, but Cole was persistent in his fear of causing a panic.

Then his phone rang.

Knowing who it was, Carter picked up. "This better be good, Chris. This is getting really old, man."

_"You mean the CIA guy hasn't got anything, yet?"_

"Nothing. A whole lot of nothing! I just want one solid lead so I can get this over with!"

_"Well, I have one suggestion, bro. If you're still traveling incognito, then maybe you should talk to some of your…connections."_

Carter didn't know what to think. "…No. You don't mean…? You want THEM to help me out?"

_"You're in Tennessee, aren't you? And no one's supposed to know anything, right? They never tell anyone anything, anyway. They always think they'll be incriminated. And they can help you out better than anyone else right now."_

"You got a point…but…THEM? Helping me…to find a bunch of kids? Sounds stupid, Chris."

_"I don't you've got any choice. You said it yourself. Right now, you have nothing. And don't you want to hurry up so you can take that vacation?"_

"Yeah…I want that vacation. I've been stressed." Carter sighed. "Whatever, man. It's worth a try. I'll go as soon as Cole gets his thing done. Thanks, Chris."

Carter hung up and shook his head. He didn't believe he would have to waste his underground connections…on four kids. But he had no other choice.

* * *

Sakura could've sworn she was at a funeral. The whole walk to the Mount Rushmore memorial was somber and quiet. No one was saying anything…or actually, it was two. Meilin was her usual self, but Madison was silent. Again, she didn't prepare a costume for Sakura. Sakura couldn't blame her after all that's happened, but still, she worried about Li. What was wrong with him? Why was he so quiet…and nervous?

It was hard to find their way to the Presidential Trail without being seen, but it was done by using the Sleep Card again. As soon as they got there, Sakura looked in front of her to see the sight she saw using the Vision Card. The heads of the four United States' presidents were clearly visible, but Sakura could make out one irregularity. The nose of Teddy Roosevelt was on…fire. Kero took a peek out and made his conclusion.

"It's the Fire Card, all right. We'll have to put this fire out fast. You know what you have to do, don't you, Sakura?"

"Again?!" Sakura groaned. "It's a really long way, Kero! I can't take another flight! And I don't think I can take the Fire Card by myself!"

"That's just what I was thinking," Kero replied. "So you'll have to carry Shoran with you."

"WHAT?!" Sakura and Li both asked.

"He's too heavy!" Sakura complained.

"What if she drops me?!" Li added.

In an unlikely move, it was Meilin who played peacemaker. "Maybe she won't drop you…if she ties you up."

Somehow, Sakura knew what she meant. So with a plan intact, Sakura took out the Angel Card. "Angel Card! Release!" As soon as her wings grew, she took out the Chain Card. "Chain Card! Bind us both together! Release and dispel! Chain Card!"

The Chain Card released a long chain. It circled around Li and Sakura and they were both bound by the waist. Sakura knew she would have to concentrate really hard to carry the extra weight. Of course, she wasn't the more nervous of the two. Li was already closing his eyes. For some reason, he was always nervous when it came to flying. Since the days of the Fly Card, he was always reluctant to fly.

Sakura took a deep breath and took off. Occasionally stumbling, she flew towards Mount Rushmore. There were many moments where Sakura almost took a complete nosedive. Grunting all the way, Sakura finally reached the top of Teddy Roosevelt's head. She untied the chain that bound her and Li together and looked down to see the raging fire and the Fire Card. It was in the form of a red lizard. She wished she had a Water Card, but she had yet to find that one. There wasn't much she could do. Li had his sword out and was poised to strike, but Sakura knew exactly what he was going to do.

"Wait a minute, Li," Sakura halted him. "You aren't doing what I think you are, are you?"

"What do you mean?"

"You aren't going to use lightning, are you?"

"Why not?"

Sakura groaned. "This is a national monument! It might not mean much to us, but it's a major symbol for the Americans. We can't just destroy it!"

"I don't think we have a choice, Sakura," Kero said. "There's no other way we can put out the fire."

Sakura wished there was another way. She really did. But it looked like there was no other way. Then Li whispered something in Sakura's ear. She didn't like that plan much better, either. This would also result in the destruction of Teddy Roosevelt's face. But before she could protest it, Li already jumped down onto Teddy Roosevelt's nose, nearly slipping off as he landed.

"What's he doing?" Kero asked. "What'd he tell you?"

Sakura didn't say anything. Instead, she watched Li as the Fire Card confronted him. The Fire Card tried to throw a fireball at him, but he ducked it as it hit the rocks behind him. Li's distraction was enough for Sakura to get one shot off. She took out the Bell Card.

"Bell Card! Release!"

A big bell began to sound and was literally causing an earthquake around Sakura. Then she jumped back as some of the mountain began to crumble, creating an avalanche. The Fire Card didn't expect that, as the rocks landed on top of it. Sakura flew down and saw the Fire Card trying to get loose. Before it could inch its way out, Sakura held out her wand.

"Fire Card! Return to your power confined! Fire Card!"

Amidst the rocks, the Fire Card was sealed. Sakura looked up to see the damage caused. It almost looked like Teddy Roosevelt had a receding hairline. Everyone would be asking about this, and hopefully, no one could pin this on Sakura. Then she looked over at Li. He still seemed to be looking around nervously. He was looking everywhere, except at Sakura. This was really bothering her. It was almost as if he were…hiding something.

But what could he be hiding?

* * *

His conscience had plagued him the whole day. It had plagued him ever since…IT happened. Li couldn't think about anything else. The entire time…he just wondered to himself…why? Why did he do it? Did he do it because he liked Madison? No…that couldn't be it. He never thought of Madison that way. It was something else. Did Li kiss her…out of pity?

Either way, he had to confront this problem sooner or later. That's why he got his hopes up when he saw Meilin leaving the hotel room.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"We're going out for a cappuccino," Meilin answered. "It was supposed to be all of us, but Madison doesn't feel good. Are you coming?"

Madison wasn't going? This would be perfect. There wouldn't be any better opportunity.

"I…feel tired," Li finally responded. "Maybe you and Sakura should go on without me."

Meilin was about to walk out the door, but glanced at Li one more time. "Something's wrong with you, Li Shoran. You may not be telling me now, but I'll find out. You've never been able to keep anything from me."

Li sighed as Meilin walked out. She was right. Anytime Li tried to keep a secret, there were two people always there to hear him spill it. There was Meilin…and SAKURA! Li had to clear the air now. So he got up and walked out of his room and went next door. He saw Madison standing at the other side of the room, looking out the window. She gasped as he came in. She wasn't expecting Li to come in.

"We have to talk," Li said bluntly.

They both walked over to the bed and sat down. After a long pause, they both looked into each other's eyes and said…

"I'm sorry."

Li didn't expect that. "You are? I…"

"It was my fault, Li," Madison said sadly. "I knew it was leading up to that. The lights were out…you were right in front of me…there wasn't a better definition of temptation. And I…caved in. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to do it."

"No, it's my fault," Li told her. "It's just that when I saw you…when I saw that look of…hopelessness in your eyes. I just…felt…don't take this the wrong way…I…felt…sorry for you. I don't feel…that way…about you. You're my friend. But I love Sakura. I should never have kissed you."

**"Say WHAT?!"**

Li and Madison both looked over at the corner of the room. That voice sounded from Sakura's bag and at that moment, Li wished he could just jump out the window. It was obvious now that he and Madison weren't alone. And sure enough, out of the bag came…

…Kero!

"Please tell me I didn't just hear what I thought I did," Kero uttered angrily. He looked sternly at both Li and Madison. "You…and you…kissed each other?! What were you two thinking?! WERE you two thinking?!"

"We're sorry!" Li and Madison both shouted desperately.

Kero stammered awhile before continuing on. "Did you two…even think about what would happen if Sakura ever found out? How could you…?" He stopped. Kero was seemingly stuck on what to say. It had to be a shock for him.

Li hung his head down. "I just wish…that could have never happened. I just want to move on."

"Me, too," Madison added. "I just want to forget that stupid kiss ever happened."

"Were you planning on telling Sakura?" Kero demanded.

"NO!" Li snapped. "And you can't tell her, either! Please, Kero!"

Li felt sick to his stomach. For the first time in his life, for the first time EVER…he was actually begging KERO. He never thought that would ever happen.

"You just think this'll go away?" Kero asked somberly. "Something like that? You think you can keep it a secret?"

"I have so far," Li muttered. "Please, Kero? I made a mistake. We made a mistake. I can't…change that. All I can do…is just move on. I love Sakura. I always have loved her and I always will. But please, Kero. She can't find out about this one mistake."

Kero sighed deeply. "I'm thinking I was better off staying in the bag. All right, I won't tell Sakura. But only because I know what this would do to her. If she ever found out that her boyfriend and her best friend kissed each other, it would destroy her. And I don't want to see that. So I won't tell her."

"Thank you, Kero," both Li and Madison breathed in relief.

"But you two never answered my question," Kero reminded them. "Why? What made you two kiss each other?"

Li cringed. "I…felt sorry for her."

"You felt sorry for me?" Madison asked Li.

Li turned his head. "I just…thought about all you've told me and all the luck you've had. Then I just…got caught up in the moment. I didn't mean for it to happen that way."

"I understand," Madison said. "I kind of feel like…I've betrayed someone, too. Not just Sakura, but…someone else."

Li really found it hard to look at Madison. He knew that forgetting this incident would not be easy. Did that kiss…strain his friendship with Madison.

"Things won't be the same, will they?" Li realized.

"Not for a while," Madison confirmed grimly. "Maybe things between us can be normal again…someday."

Kero flew over to Sakura's bag. "I sure hope so…for everyone's sake."

  


Author's Note: Can things ever get back to normal? Or will something ELSE happen? The next chapter will answer that question.

  


Any comments? Then mail me at AmericanCaptor@hotmail.com and don't forget to review below.


	18. Remembering the Alamo

Author's Note: So one innocent kiss is all forgotten, right? Not exactly, but it's not like Sakura will ever find out. Unless something else happens…

  


Cards captured so far: Vision, Heat, Vine, Bell, Sleep, Wind, Angel, Sludge, Multiple, Silence, Smoke, Memory, Chain, and Fire

  


**CCS: The American Cards: Part 18**

  


"Let me see that pamphlet again, Madison?"

Sakura browsed through the pamphlet of San Antonio, Texas. She looked through the pictures of the place known as the Alamo. The pictures matched what she saw when she last used the Vision Card. The only thing she needed now was the American Card, and she had yet to figure out what it was.

"I can't wait to get there," Madison said excitedly. "I've always wanted to see a place like Texas."

Sakura smiled. "You sound a lot more cheerful. Feeling any better?"

"A lot better," Madison grinned. "A lot has happened in the last few days."

"I'll bet," Kero mumbled.

"Huh?" Sakura asked.

"Uh…I'll bet…with all the cards we've encountered…and everything. You know what I mean?"

"Uh…yeah," Sakura conceded. "Actually, it's true. A lot has happened in the last few days. But the best thing is that Li's finally starting to act like himself again. I just wish I knew what was wrong with him to begin with."

"Uh…I'm sure it was nothing," Kero said quickly.

"Yeah, nothing," Madison added.

"Um…ok," Sakura agreed. "…If you say so."

Then the bus stopped. Sakura looked out the window to see the bus depot.

"We're here. San Antonio, Texas."

Sakura eagerly headed outside the bus. She couldn't wait to see the sights of the state of Texas. Of course, in the back of her mind was the next American Card that was hiding out in the Alamo. Sakura still couldn't think of what it was.

But how dangerous could it be?

* * *

Once again, night had fallen. Of course, the atmosphere was a lot more cheerful. Everything was going on like normal, if anyone considered this kind of life normal. For the first time in a while, Madison had a costume for Sakura and it really worked with her surroundings. Sakura wore long blue jeans with black cowboy boots and a brown vest. Her Santa hat had been replaced by a ten-gallon cowboy hat. The atmosphere in the Alamo was definitely western. Sakura could have sworn she saw a tumbleweed roll by.

She kept a poker face on. Sakura could definitely sense an American Card nearby. She had her hands near her pockets as if she were ready to draw. And she did. She drew…her key.

"Key of Clow. Power of Magic. Power of Light. Surrender the wand. The force ignite. Release!"

Sakura took her wand in her hand, which really clashed with her cowgirl ensemble. Of course, Madison didn't mind.

"Oh, that looks so great!" Madison squealed. "That's such a great shot. I've always wanted to film you in a place like this. I've never pictured you as a cowgirl, Sakura."

Meilin shook her head. "Are you telling me that in your entire collection, you don't have one tape of Sakura as a cowgirl?"

"Maybe, but I haven't really looked," Madison admitted.

The only other thing that clashed with the western atmosphere was Meilin and Li. Of course, they wore their usual, with Li's sword in hand. There was only one piece of this puzzle missing.

"It's coming," Sakura said to herself. "I can feel it."

Li somehow didn't believe Sakura. So he pulled out the Lasin Board. "Source of Light! With ancient spin! Send forth the magic! Power within! Force, know my plight! Release the light!"

The Lasin Board pointed straight ahead. Then the winds started to blow…harder…and harder. Somehow, Sakura knew it wasn't normal. The American Card was coming closer.

"What is it?" Sakura asked.

Kero looked ahead and saw the whirling winds starting to approach. The winds continued to gather together and Sakura saw they began to form into…

Kero finished the thought. "It's a tornado! It's the Tornado Card!"

Sakura tried to take action quickly. She reached for a card, but the tornado was coming a lot quicker than Sakura could have ever thought. Before it sucked them all in, Sakura took out the Chain Card.

"Chain Card! Bind us all together! Release and dispel! Chain Card!"

The long chain came out again and bound the four of them together. Sakura could also see that the chain was anchored onto a rock. Then the tornado whooshed over them all. The tornado swung them all around, but the chain was very strong. Instead of being tossed into the air, the four were swung in circles. This felt like a very bad carnival ride, and Sakura had just eaten, too. She had to put an end to this quickly.

"I d-don't suppose anyone has any ideas?" Sakura uttered.

"Somebody think of something!" Meilin shouted. "I'm getting dizzy!"

"Me, too!" Madison added.

"Can't reach my sword from here!" Li grunted.

"Maybe we can turn these winds the other way," Kero suggested. "Try Windy!"

Sakura obliged and took out the Wind Card. "Windy! Blow the tornado the other way! Release and dispel! Windy!"

The tornado had been blowing counter-clockwise. So when Windy came out in its eagle form, it flew clockwise and began blowing winds in that direction. The winds began to cancel each other out and the tornado started to die out. From about 15 feet in the air, the four fell to the ground, still bound by the chain. Sakura loosened the chain as the tornado stopped completely, leaving only the Tornado Card's original form, a…unicycle.

Kero shook his head. "The Tornado Card's form. A cycle-own."

Sakura fell anime-style. "I hate puns." She picked herself up and walked to the inert Tornado Card. "Tornado Card! Return to your power confined! Tornado Card!"

Sakura picked up the Tornado Card and walked over to her friends, who were loosening themselves from the chain. To make things easier, Sakura recalled the Chain Card.

"Are you guys all right?" Sakura asked.

"We will be," Li answered. "At least that's over. Should we go?"

Sakura was ready to leave, but she couldn't resist getting one pun in, even though she hated them. "Madison, did you get all that on tape?"

"It took some doing," Madison replied. "But it's all on tape. Even the parts where we were in the tornado."

"Good," Sakura grinned. "Because when I get back to Japan, I want to make sure I…remember the Alamo."

Everyone groaned at that. It looked like Sakura wasn't the only one who hated the obvious jokes.

* * *

It was a harrowing experience, but at least it was over. Sakura had sealed the Tornado Card and Li couldn't be more proud. But being in a tornado didn't exactly leave everyone too clean. What made things worse, though, was that the shower in Li's hotel room was broken. The conditions weren't the best in this hotel and it was obvious that Madison was running out of money.

Luckily, Sakura offered her shower to Li. Of course, all he had to do was wait for the word and Li could clean himself off. Just then, Sakura did walk in and greeted Li with a kiss.

"Still need that shower?" she asked.

"I'm covered in dust and dirt," Li sighed. "Is the shower open?"

"Of course," Sakura smiled. "You just wait here. I'll get it started for you. Then you can shower while I go downstairs with Meilin and while Madison looks through her tape."

"Thanks, Sakura."

Sakura walked out of Li's room. In the meantime, Li looked through his luggage for a clean change of clothes and a towel.

* * *

Madison dusted herself off and tried to find some clean clothes in the hotel room's closet. Just then, she heard Sakura walk in.

"I'm going downstairs for a little while," she said. "Will you be ok, here, Madison?"

"I'll be fine," Madison answered cheerfully.

"Hurry up, Avalon! I'm still waiting over here!"

"Oh, I forgot about Meilin," Sakura sighed. "I've got to go."

"Could you start the shower for me, Sakura?" Madison called out, with her head in the closet. "I really need to clean myself up."

Just then, Madison stuck her head out to see that Sakura had left in a rush. She shook her head. She would have to do it herself. Madison took her clean change of clothes and a towel and walked into the bathroom. She shut the door, but realized that the lock was broken. Madison groaned in frustration. These hotel conditions were really cheap.

So she just closed the door with no lock and walked over to the shower. She sighed deeply as she took her clothes off. Then she turned the shower on and stepped inside, closing the dark curtain as she stepped in.

* * *

Li could hear Meilin all the way outside. He could imagine that Sakura ran out in a rush and forgot to tell him the shower was ready. Or maybe she didn't even start the shower at all. So Li took his towel and clean change of clothes and walked next door. To his relief, he could hear that Sakura started the shower, after all. So he took his clothes off and walked into the bathroom. Then he pulled the shower curtain back…

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

After all that happened in Chicago and South Dakota, this was without a shadow of a doubt the WORST thing that could have possibly happened. Apparently, Sakura hadn't started the shower, because someone was already in there. It was…

…Madison.

Madison desperately covered herself as Li, obviously panic-stricken, covered himself and ran out of the bathroom and slammed the door behind him. There was nothing for Li to do, but put his clothes on and wonder what in God's name just happened. By all means, everything was resolved between Li and Madison, then THIS happens. Li felt like jumping out the window again…as soon as he got his clothes on. He quickly tossed something on.

After what seemed like an eternity, Madison came out of the bathroom, in a robe. She was obviously embarrassed about this whole thing, as was Li. Another eternity passed as both of them thought about what to say.

"I…can't believe what just happened," Li finally said.

"What's wrong with you?" Madison chided. "Didn't you know I was in there?!"

"I'm sorry," Li apologized. "I thought Sakura started the shower for me. I didn't know you were in there."

Madison groaned loudly. "I can't believe this happened. Why did this have to happen? And it doesn't help that it's only been a few days since we…kissed each other."

Li didn't say anything. Instead he wore an expression of absolute mortification. Madison didn't see what was standing behind her and Li felt like he just wanted to shrivel up and die. As soon as Madison uttered those fateful words, the hotel door behind her slowly flew open. And standing there was…

…Sakura…and she heard all she needed to hear.

"What did you just say?" Sakura asked somberly.

Madison's expression soon matched Li's horrified face exactly. She slowly turned around to see the hurt and confused Sakura. Her eyes were slowly filling up with tears. The look on Sakura's face could only be described in one word: betrayal. Madison couldn't say anything.

So Sakura looked at Li. "Is that…true…Li?"

Li stood silent for a moment…before coming clean. "I…didn't want you to find out, Sakura…"

He couldn't get another word out, because Sakura broke into tears and started crying. She had to have been heartbroken and this was the last thing Li wanted to see. He tried to go up to her, but was met with a cold slap in the face.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!!" Sakura shouted. "HOW COULD YOU?!"

"Sakura…it's not what you think," Li uttered in desperation.

"Sakura, please let us explain," Madison pleaded.

Sakura wouldn't have any of it, though. "And YOU! YOU were supposed to be my best friend!! How could you do this to me?! What made you two think you could keep something like that from me?!"

At that point, Li could have ended everything. He could have said something that could have put Sakura at ease and calmed her down. He could have said something that might have saved his relationship that was, at this moment, hanging by a thread. Li could have cleared all this up. He could have, He could have, He could have!

But he didn't. Instead, out of panic and possibly stupidity, he only said one thing.

"…Kero knew about it, too."

That did not help at all. Just then, Kero stuck his head out of Sakura's pocket and looked angrily at Li.

"You little Chinese snitch!! How could you squeal like that?!"

Sakura pulled Kero out by his neck and hung him in front of her face. "You! You KNEW about this?!"

Kero was breaking into a cold sweat. "Um…maybe?"

In a fit of rage, Sakura tossed Kero across the room. Li knew that he couldn't do anything now. Sakura was completely overcome by anger and sorrow.

"I can't believe what I'm hearing," Sakura sobbed. "I've been betrayed…by the three people I love the most."

Li tried approaching Sakura again. "Sakura, please hear us out…"

"GO AWAY!!" Sakura shouted. "EVERYONE JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!!!"

Sakura ran out, crying all the way to Li's room. Li tried following behind her, but when he got to his room, he was met with a door slammed in his face.

"Sakura!" Li pleaded. "Please, just let me explain! Come on! Let me in!"

The door opened and Li breathed a sigh of relief. Unfortunately, this wasn't what he had in mind. Li's clothes, luggage, and other belongings were suddenly hurled at him. He fell over from the tremendous weight and heard the door slam shut again. Then he heard Sakura's voice one more time.

"Go sleep with Madison! Maybe you two can keep each other company again! But don't you two EVER talk to me again! I HATE YOU, LI SHORAN!"

Those words hurt. They hurt more than anything had ever hurt Li before. They hurt more than any pain from the Clow Cards. They hurt more than the slap in the face Sakura gave him earlier. They even hurt more than the day Li left for Hong Kong. Nothing had ever hurt Li more than hearing Sakura, the love of his life, say those three words to him: I HATE YOU.

Of course, things didn't end there. Li saw a shirt get pulled out of the front of his face and he could finally see in front of him again. But he almost hoped to have that shirt in his face again, because he didn't want to see this face now.

Standing over him…was Meilin...who looked confused.

"What…just happened?"

  


Author's Note: This went very long, but you can see why. S+S fans should be getting a little nervous right now. So how does this go on to affect the hunt for the rest of the American Cards? Come back for the next part and find out.

  


Any comments? I know you have some. I know you couldn't have read this and not have something to say. So go on! Review below!


	19. The bus just isn't the same

Author's Note: WOW! What a last chapter! I almost can't believe I wrote that! I didn't think I had that in me! So this is the aftermath. What happens now? Where does everyone go from here?

  


Cards captured so far: Vision, Heat, Vine, Bell, Sleep, Wind, Angel, Sludge, Multiple, Silence, Smoke, Memory, Chain, Fire, and Tornado

  


**CCS: The American Cards: Part 19**

  


Sakura didn't sleep a wink the night before. Indeed, she would remember the Alamo, but for all the wrong reasons. The night before, Sakura discovered something that nearly destroyed her life as she knew it. Her boyfriend…and her best friend…kissed. It was the ultimate betrayal. No matter what they told her, Sakura would never forgive either of them…or Kero for keeping this secret from her. Sakura had only one friend now, and that was Meilin.

But pretty soon, Sakura wouldn't even have her, because Meilin was getting on her nerves. She repeatedly kept asking Sakura what happened until she finally gave in and told her. Meilin definitely looked hurt, too. She knew Li better than anybody and was even obsessed with him. To hear that he did this left Meilin uneasy. Sakura felt the same way. She had unceremoniously kicked the three people she loved most out of her life and she even told Li, the love of her life, that she hated him.

No! Li was the FORMER love of her life. She could never forgive him for what he did. She kept repeating that to herself as she got on the bus. Madison left Sakura her usual seat, but Sakura walked past her. Madison stood up, looking hurt.

"Sakura…please…I saved you your seat."

"No, Madison," Sakura growled. "You can sit next to Li, but don't think we're talking to each other anymore, because we're not. You're not my friend anymore!"

Sakura continued walking by and sat next to Meilin who was still looking on in shock. She was the spectator in this whole thing. Then Li came on the bus and looked for his usual seat, finding it occupied by Sakura.

"Uh…Sakura…" Li began.

"Oh, you need a seat, don't you?" Sakura muttered bitingly. "Well, why don't you go sit next to Madison, since you two are so close?"

Then Kero stuck his head out of Li's hat. "Uh…Sakura? I think you might have forgotten about me back there. But…"

"I didn't forget!" Sakura snapped. "Just stay away from me! Both of you!"

Li had so much he wanted to say, but there were too many people around. He could already see some staring at them, especially upon hearing a voice coming from Li's hat. So he reluctantly walked over to what used to be Sakura's seat…next to Madison.

* * *

Carter looked out the car window for a few minutes. He couldn't believe he was about to go through with this. He just grumbled to himself as he looked at the back alley of the local Nashville Laundromat.

"Are you getting out or not?" Cole growled. "What are we even doing here, anyway?"

"Man, sit there and shut up," Carter snapped. "I have some…business to handle. Wait here. I won't be long."

Cole grabbed a hold of Carter's arm before he got out. "You'd better not be wasting my time. Those four could be halfway across the country. They MUST be found. So HURRY UP!"

Carter shook off Cole's grip and mumbled to himself again. This CIA guy was complaining to him about wasted time. Carter still didn't believe this story a hundred percent. Sure, these kids were sighted inside the Oval Office, but they looked to be fighting off that creature. But Carter was FBI. He had to do what he was told.

So in an effort to further this search, Carter walked into the back door of the Laundromat. As soon as he got in, he found his target. He was a suave looking individual in a black suit and sunglasses. He looked to be a very prosperous man, but Carter knew where this guy got his riches. Carter walked over to him. When the guy's lackey's pointed their guns, Carter held up his badge.

"If you know what's good for you, then you'll put the guns down!" Carter told the lackeys. The cronies put their guns down and Carter looked at the man in the suit, giving a cocky smirk. "How's it going, Andre? Remember your old friend, Carter?"

"You've got a lot of nerve coming up in here, Carter," Andre snarled. "What makes you think I won't have any of my boys blow you away right now?"

"Because we're buddies," Carter said nonchalantly. "You wouldn't take me down. We're tight."

"Same old Carter," Andre grinned. "Always so sure of yourself. So what brings you here?"

"It's time to collect on that debt," Carter said bluntly. "I need your help."

"Debt?" Andre scoffed. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, you don't?" the cocky Carter asked in fake shock. "Well I'll give you a few reasons to help me out. Number one is right…here." Carter reached into Andre's breast pocket and took out a joint. "Marijuana? I should bust you for this alone. But that's not why I'm sure you'll help me." Carter's demeanor turned serious. "You remember June 30, 1999?"

Andre moaned as he took off his sunglasses. "Why do you got to go there, Carter? You know how I feel about that day."

"Then you do remember," Carter continued. "Your mama's heart attack? Who drove her to the hospital? That's right, it was me. I did it because we're tight. We've been tight since we were kids."

"Sounds like you did it for a favor," Andre growled. "All right. What do you want?"

"I need to find some people," Carter explained. "FBI's being stubborn and won't help any of us out. There's some CIA chump out there who wants this to stay a secret because he thinks it'll cause a panic. But I know somebody who can help AND keep this under wraps. I need your boys on the lookout, Andre. I know they're out all over the country and they can help me better than anyone else can right now. So what do you say?"

"All right," Andre agreed. "Who you looking for? International terrorist? Colombian drug dealer? Mob leader? The guy that fixed the World Series?"

Carter held up the two pictures of the Japanese girl and the Chinese boy. "These two."

Andre snickered. "You…you're joking, right?"

"Wish I was," Carter sighed. "But these two and their two friends are supposedly threatening national security. In my case, though, they're the only ones standing between me and a three-week vacation. So help me this one time, and we'll call the debt even. I'll even forget I caught you with this joint."

"You weren't planning on keeping it, were you?" Andre grinned.

"Of course not," Carter said, before pocketing it. "You got my number, right?"

"I'll call you," Andre sighed. "I just have to think of something to tell the guys. They'll be wondering why Andre's looking for a couple of kids."

"Tell them it's for a friend," Carter suggested. "And if that doesn't work, then tell them you'll get a shipment if you find them. I don't know. Think of something."

Carter didn't let Andre get another word in edgewise. He just walked out of the back alley. It was done. Andre had people all over the country. It wouldn't be long before these kids were found and Carter could get this over with. Of course, he'd still have to keep it a secret from Cole…for now.

* * *

Li looked despondently outside the bus's window. This was the worst thing in the world…to have Sakura mad at him…no…to have Sakura HATE him. Maybe that's why he hadn't even looked at Madison since he sat down. He could also sense that she hadn't looked his way, either. Of course, maybe there was another reason Li and Madison didn't look at each other.

Or so that's what Kero thought. "Ok…I'm sensing there's still a little tension. Seeing each other naked can do that to a person. But we've got worse problems. So will you two GET OVER IT?!"

Li slowly turned his head to look at Madison and Madison did the same. Li was very cautious at first and made sure to look her DIRECTLY in the face and Madison did the same thing. They were still nervous about…what they saw.

"Ok, this won't be as easy as I hoped," Kero admitted. "At least TRY to get over it. Because you two have to think about the most important person in all of this."

Li sighed as he came to the realization. "Sakura."

"We really messed up," Madison said sadly.

"Actually…you two messed up," Kero shook his head. "I'm only in this mess because this Chinese brat squealed on me."

"Squealed?!" Li repeated irately. Then he calmed himself. "Ok…maybe I did squeal. I shouldn't have gotten into this, Kero."

"Well, there's nothing you can do about that now," Kero growled. "Of course, like I said before, this isn't about me. This isn't about any of us. It's about Sakura. We really hurt her and we're gonna have to do something huge to make it up to her."

"How do we make up for this, though?" Madison asked hopelessly.

Kero looked over at Li. "We're forgetting the most important detail in all this. She thinks you two are together. That's why she feels so betrayed. Sakura doesn't think you love her."

"But I DO," Li said firmly.

"You have to prove it to her!" Kero told Li. "Sakura has to see that you love her and nobody else. I'm sure she doesn't hate you, Li. She really loves you, more than anything in the world. But she's not sure if you love her." Then Kero looked at Madison. "You're…going to be a little tougher. Even if Li and Sakura get back together, she won't be as willing to forgive you. Sakura probably thinks you started this."

"No…" Madison cried out. "I didn't mean to do it. I love Sakura. I would never do anything to hurt her."

"Yet you did," Kero continued. "So you have to show Sakura that you'd never hurt her like this again. You two have been friends for at least 15 years. You can't let something like this break you up. To have a friendship die because of a misunderstanding sounds so…wrong. The only thing I suggest is to give this time. Sakura has to wait and see that her life would never be the same without your friendship. Then…you ask her to forgive you."

Madison rested her chin on her hands. "I don't know if I can wait that long."

"We have to," Kero said. "There's no other choice. Sakura isn't willing to listen to any of us right now. She might not be for a while. I hope she does soon, though. Because this might not be the worst consequence in all this."

"What could be any worse than this?" Li asked indignantly.

"If Sakura keeps hunting the American Cards with this…rage, then she might do something rash," Kero answered. "She probably won't trust either of us, even in the heat of battle. She'll probably do something stupid like…try to take these cards by herself."

Li cringed at that thought. If Sakura tried to fight the American Cards alone, she would be overwhelmed. She would need help, but with all that's happened, she might be stubborn to accept it. The repercussions of what Li had done were seemingly increasing. Just how bad could it continue to get?

And how long would it be until Sakura forgives him?

* * *

Sakura looked out the bus window. It didn't look like the bus was going to stop anytime soon. Things were definitely a lot quieter now without anyone to talk to. Well, there was one person to talk to. The lone spectator in all this, Meilin, was sitting right next to Sakura and she hadn't said a word…

…until now. "Sakura?"

"What is it, Meilin?"

"What happened?"

Meilin knew very well what happened. But she was obviously trying to get a word out of Sakura.

"I don't want to talk about it," Sakura moaned.

"Come on, Sakura," Meilin coaxed. "I couldn't get anything out of Li. And from what I can see, I'm probably your only friend left. So come on. Tell me. What happened?"

Sakura sighed at that thought. Meilin was probably right. "I walked in on Li and Madison. I heard Madison say something about…kissing Li. When I asked about it…they didn't deny it. They confessed it. And Kero kept this whole thing from me. They actually thought they could hide it from me."

Meilin was in a state of shock. "Wait a minute. Tell me again, because it didn't sink in the first time. You mean Li…and Madison Taylor…kissed?"

Sakura only nodded. There was nothing else to say.

"I still can't believe it," Meilin continued. "I never thought something like this would break you two up. I always thought it would be something else, but nothing like this."

That rang a bell in Sakura's head. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"What do you mean?"

"That! Did you always think that I would break up with Li?"

"To be honest…yeah. I don't know why, but…I never believed that you two belonged together. You…and Li…just didn't make sense to me. Of course, I never imagined that something like this would happen."

"I'll never forgive them," Sakura said, her voice choked up. "I can't forgive them, not after this."

"Sakura…you can't just carry this hatred with you, can you?"

Sakura thought about this. She wasn't the type of person to hold a grudge. But this was a different situation. Things wouldn't be the same after this. But could she really withhold this hatred for possibly her whole life?

"Maybe."

  


Author's Note: A good lead in to the next few chapters. What happens next? What happens when it's time to look for the next American Card? And where IS the next card, anyway? Come back to find out.

  


Any comments? Then mail me at AmericanCaptor@hotmail.com and don't forget to review below.


	20. Colorado and a matter of trust

Author's Note: Long bus trip, wasn't it? Well, the bus has arrived and it's time to look for the next American Card. So where is it, and what kind of state will Sakura be in?

  


Cards captured so far: Vision, Heat, Vine, Bell, Sleep, Wind, Angel, Sludge, Multiple, Silence, Smoke, Memory, Chain, Fire, and Tornado

  


**CCS: The American Cards: Part 20**

  


It's been a few hours since Sakura arrived in Colorado Springs, Colorado. For a while, she sat alone in her hotel room. It was one of the worst feelings in the world, next to betrayal. It was isolation. Sakura couldn't confide in anybody, except Meilin, and she was downstairs.

She knew there was an American Card out there that had to be captured. She thought about that after she called Tori from the hotel phone. Usually, she would spend the day with her friends before donning one of Madison's costumes and going out to look for the next American Card. But so much had changed now.

Then Sakura realized something. She didn't want anything to do with Li, Madison, or Kero…so what was she waiting for? She remembered exactly what the Vision Card showed her. She saw the mountains…the Rocky Mountains. The next American Card was waiting to be sealed. And Sakura wouldn't wait for any of them. She got up…and walked out of the hotel room.

* * *

"So what are you three going to do about this?"

Li couldn't look at anybody at this point. He couldn't even look up at Meilin, who had come in to confront him, Madison, and Kero. One thing he thought, though, was that it was really ironic to see Meilin trying to play peacemaker, especially for Sakura.

"There's nothing we can do," Li answered. "We just have to wait for Sakura to calm down. She won't listen to any of us right now."

"Can I just ask what you two were thinking?" Meilin demanded.

"NO!" Li snapped. "I've heard that question too many times! Maybe I'll just come right out and say it! I was stupid! STUPID, STUPID, STUPID! THERE! You happy?!"

"No!" Meilin snapped back. "I've never seen Sakura like this! And even if we don't always get along, she's still my friend! You can't just leave her like this!"

"We don't plan to," Madison responded. "We'll talk to Sakura eventually…when she's ready to listen. We want her to hear us out…then she can decide if she still wants to be our friend."

"I talked to her on the bus," Meilin said. "And I've got to say, it doesn't look good. She doesn't sound too willing to forgive. But…she has to, though. I know she does. She wouldn't just shut her friends out of her life, would she?"

"You're pretty passionate about this, aren't you, Meilin?" Madison asked.

"Maybe I am," Meilin sighed. "I just can't stand to see you guys like this. I want things to be the way they were. I want to see you and Sakura go back to being best of friends. And I want to see Li and Sakura go back to being the way they were."

"You do?" Li asked curiously. "I thought you said Sakura and I weren't meant for each other."

"I…might have said that," Meilin uttered. "But………"

…Silence.

"But what?" Li and Madison both asked.

"I have to be honest," Meilin continued. "When I first saw you and Sakura, it made me sick. Eight years ago, I thought it would be you and me together. But when I saw you leave Hong Kong to go back to Japan...that's when I started to get scared. And when you told the family that you weren't coming back, that's when I realized that you really did feel something for Sakura. When the family threatened to cut you off, I knew I had to make a stand and be by your side, but only because I knew they were wrong. I didn't condone you two being together and I thought you were wrong for each other.

"But…then this happened and for the first time ever, your relationship with Sakura is in serious jeopardy. And once I saw you two…apart…not kissing each other, not getting close, not even saying how much you loved each other…not being the inseparable couple that Madison would always go on and on about…I realized something. It's…not the same. And…it doesn't feel right. I'm starting to feel like…you two really are meant for each other…only…Avalon doesn't see it right now."

Li didn't know what to say. Had the impossible happened? Did Meilin actually start to believe that he belonged with Sakura? It had to be some dream. But it wasn't. It was actually happening.

"It won't be easy," Madison said, breaking the silence. "I still don't think Sakura's ready to talk to us yet."

"Uh…where IS Sakura?" Kero suddenly asked.

"In our room," Meilin answered.

"Are you sure?" Kero persisted. "I think we'd better check."

No one hesitated in getting up. Li, Meilin, and Madison, carrying Kero, walked next door to look for Sakura. They all called out for her, but the worst had been confirmed. Sakura was gone.

"This is exactly what I was afraid of," Kero panicked. "She's gone to look for the American Card without us."

Li took a deep breath…mostly out of fear of what could happen. "We're going after her. Everyone meet me downstairs. I have to get the Lasin Board."

Li ran out of there and went back to his own hotel room. He reached into his bag and looked for the Lasin Board. He knew he had to hurry. This would be the first time Sakura hunted any card alone, even without Kero. Li had to find her, or he would never forgive himself.

* * *

Sakura slowly walked up the snowy mountain trail. She could sense she was getting closer to the next American Card. Sakura made sure she didn't lose her footing, but she felt like cracking that sign she saw earlier. The sign said there would be 20 straight miles of smooth mountain trail. But the trail was less than smooth. It was downright crooked with jagged rocks…that weren't covered in snow.

Then Sakura stopped walking. She could feel the card coming closer. Then she felt the ground begin to rumble. She saw more rocks suddenly begin to rise out of the snow below. That's when Sakura realized that the card had found her. And she recognized it as the Earth Card.

So Sakura stood her ground and took out her key. "Key of Clow. Power of Magic. Power of Light. Surrender the wand. The force ignite. Release!"

Sakura took her wand and maintained her position on the ground. Rocks continued to fly out of the ground. Then stone pillars began to rise. There wasn't much for Sakura to do. She wanted to know what to do, but there wasn't anybody to ask. She abandoned her friends and was on her own. Then she saw a big spiked pillar rise towards the side of the mountain. Sakura looked above her to see that an avalanche of snow was about to cover her. Panicked, she took out the Fire Card.

"Fire Card! Create a barrier to protect me! Release and dispel! Fire!"

A barrier of fire formed above Sakura, which protected her when the inevitable avalanche came. The barrier was covered with snow, but the fire quickly started to melt it. When the snow melted, Sakura saw several pillars begin to surround her. The pillars reached heights of about 30 feet. Sakura recalled the Fire Card and quickly found she couldn't get out. Then she looked up to see something standing on top of one of the pillars. It was the Earth Card's form. It jumped down and faced Sakura. It was a brown armadillo that was standing upright.

Sakura tried running up to it, but it threw her into one of the pillars. Before Sakura could pick herself up, she saw the Earth Card part two of the pillars and run out before the pillars caved back in. Sakura was stuck. And what made things worse were that the pillars began to cave in. The Earth Card was trying to crush Sakura…and there was no one to save her.

* * *

"Wait up, Li!"

Li couldn't stop. As soon as the Lasin Board started pointing towards the mountains, he started running in that direction. He didn't know what it was, maybe it was the knowledge that the American Card was in the mountains, but Li could feel that Sakura was in trouble. He nearly left Madison and Meilin in the dust. Then he saw the light point to a series of pillars. The light was pointing up at a walking armadillo. He also saw the pillars were caving in. A sinking feeling in the pit of Li's stomach began to overtake him.

"Sakura?!"

"Li?!" someone called out from inside the pillars. It was Sakura.

Li felt sick. He felt his heart was shattering. The pillars were trying to crush the girl he loved the most. And it didn't look like there was anything he could do.

* * *

Sakura could hear Li outside. She was hoping he could save her, but it didn't look like it was going to happen. It looked like she would have to bail herself out. Sakura took out her only saving grace.

"Angel Card! Release!"

As soon as the Angel Card placed its wings on Sakura, she wasted no time in flying straight up. Sakura started to sweat as the pillars continued to close in on her. Then, just as the pillars closed in completely, Sakura flew out. She realized she was going a little too fast, because she was practically 100 feet in the air, which wasn't very safe. So she descended down on the ground, right next to Li.

"Are you all right?"

Li tried to run up and hug Sakura, but she rejected him. She pushed him aside as she saw the Earth Card jump down to the ground and face them. Li held his sword up and took his battle stance, but that's when Sakura walked over to him and pushed him down.

"I don't need your help!" Sakura shouted. "I'll do this myself!!"

She tried to get in another word, but she felt a rock scrape her arm. She examined her forearm to see some blood trickle down. Sakura started to get angry with all this. She turned around and faced the Earth Card again. When Li tried to stand by her side, she pushed him back. She didn't need or want his help.

"Sakura, don't be stubborn!" Kero pleaded. "Let us help you!"

"NO!" Sakura snapped. "I don't WANT you to help me! You've done enough!"

Sakura wanted to finish this before a big argument started. But it looked to be over. Li tried to step in again, but this time it was Kero who interjected himself.

"She doesn't want our help," he said solemnly. "Let her learn the hard way."

Li momentarily teased a protest, but then he nodded and stepped back. That was all Sakura wanted. After the way he betrayed her, she didn't want his help anymore. She didn't even want to see him here. So then, she faced the Earth Card once again. And it was the Earth Card that made the first move. It rose two pillars out of the ground, one under itself and one under Sakura. The pillars rose to about 30 feet off the ground.

Then the Earth Card formed two stone staffs and tossed one to Sakura. It was challenging her to a duel. She didn't need Kero to tell her that. So took a fighting stance and the duel began. The two staffs clashed against each other as Sakura parried each attempted body shot and ducked each headshot. Then the Earth Card unexpectedly swept the staff under Sakura, sweeping her legs and knocking her down. When she fell to her knees, she could see the truly long fall that was in store if she didn't get up.

The Earth Card tried to deliver the final blows. It swung its staff and nailed Sakura in the face and arms. The rough edged stones of the staff began to take their toll and left Sakura's body bruised and cut. She couldn't take much more. She wanted to cry out for help below, but something inside her wouldn't let her. Instead, she pulled herself up and with a burst of adrenaline, jumped the Earth Card's next swing. The Earth Card swung so hard that it almost lost its balance. Sakura used that momentary distraction to nail the Earth Card with her staff and knock it off the pillar pedestal.

Sakura looked on as the Earth Card fell to the ground below, and she decided to follow. She slowly descended to the ground using the wings from the Angel Card. After she landed, Sakura walked over to the Earth Card, which wasn't hurt but merely kicking dirt because it had lost. Sakura put it out of its misery by holding her wand out.

"Earth Card! Return to your power confined! Earth Card!"

Sakura sealed the Earth Card and took in her hand. That's when the pain of her scrapes and cuts started to set in. Li tried to walk up to her, check up on her, but Sakura pushed him back.

"I'll be fine," she said sternly. "Just leave me alone!"

Before Li could say anything, Sakura started running away, before she ran into an approaching Meilin and…Madison.

"Sakura…?" Madison began.

"Leave me alone!" Sakura shouted. "I don't want to talk to you!"

Before ANYONE could say anything, Sakura ran away. She didn't stop to see where she was going. She just kept on running and didn't stop. This would never go away. Just the sight of Li, Madison, and Kero was a constant reminder of that betrayal that left Sakura hurt…and alone. She couldn't stand it. No matter how long she ran, she would eventually have to go back to the hotel room. She would eventually have to get on a bus to who-knows-where. So when she was far away from everyone, she stopped to use the Vision Card…and find out where the next American Card is.

* * *

Li wanted to run after her. Sakura was still hurting and it pained him to see it. But Kero flew in front of him. So Li held out his sword.

"Get out of the way!"

"Let her go, Li," Kero suggested calmly. "She'll be back. She has to come back to the hotel room eventually. But Sakura needs to deal with her anger right now."

"She needs me," Li growled. "Didn't you see what just happened to her? She's going to end up getting killed!"

"She has to see that for herself!" Kero shot back. "Sakura has to learn this the hard way. She's not the same girl she was before. She's not the little ten-year old Cardcaptor who didn't know what she was getting into. She's been getting cocky. And with all that's happened, she thinks she doesn't need any of us anymore. Sakura has to realize that she needs her friends right now. But first, we have to let her anger die down. And that's going to take time."

Li looked out into the distance. He couldn't see Sakura anymore. As much as he hated to admit it, Kero was right. Sakura's in an irrational state. She wouldn't listen to anybody right now. It would take time for her to hear the other side of the story…not that there was much of another side. When Sakura becomes willing to listen, Li and Madison would both have to give their reasons for…kissing each other.

And that didn't guarantee that Sakura would forgive either of them.

  


Any comments? Then mail me at AmericanCaptor@hotmail.com and don't forget to review below.


	21. Split in Salt Lake

Author's Note: Someone's still angry. Sakura carries her anger all the way to Salt Lake City and still doesn't want to talk to Li, Madison, or Kero. But what American Card does she confront that will finally get her talking?

  


Cards captured so far: Vision, Heat, Vine, Bell, Sleep, Wind, Angel, Sludge, Multiple, Silence, Smoke, Memory, Chain, Fire, Tornado, and Earth

  


**CCS: The American Cards: Part 21**

  


Sakura did eventually go back to her hotel room. She didn't say anything to Meilin and she didn't see the others. She just slept that night…after crying herself to sleep. The next say she got on the bus and just looked up on the bus's ceiling as she walked. She didn't want to see Li, Madison, or Kero. She just took her seat next to Meilin and didn't say anything during the whole trip to Salt Lake City. Even when Meilin was talking right to her, Sakura didn't respond.

Then she got to Salt Lake City and Sakura didn't say anything there, either. She just waited for Meilin and her 'friends' and went to the hotel. When Sakura got to the hotel, Meilin tried to talk to her. In her own unique way, she asked Sakura not to leave without them again. Sakura didn't respond and just went into the hotel room. And sure enough, when no one was looking, Sakura got up to walk out of the hotel room again. They were ready, though. They were all waiting outside the door, so Sakura just slammed the door and went back inside. They'd want to go after the American Card sooner or later, and Sakura didn't want their help. So she did the only other thing she could. She locked the door and walked over to the window. She tied a few blankets together and climbed out the hotel window. Then she headed out.

That was Sakura's day up to this point. Now she found herself in the Great Salt Lake State Park where the sun was starting to set on the Great Salt Lake. Sakura couldn't stand by and look at the beautiful sight. She had an American Card to find. At first, she didn't see one. Then she walked in between two trees and stopped. She could sense the next card. But sensing was all she had time for.

Sakura felt something begin to overtake her. Sakura started to feel as if she had become possessed. She felt herself start to come apart. She felt nauseous as she fell to the ground. Then Sakura let out a scream…as she lost consciousness.

* * *

"You think we should let her out now?"

Li nodded. "It's been a few hours already. We have to go look for the next American Card. And it's starting to get late. So we'd better let her out."

Li undid the lock and opened the door as Madison and Meilin looked on. Much to Li's horror, Sakura was indeed gone. She escaped out the window and went after the American Card by herself…again.

Li punched the wall in frustration. "I don't believe this!"

"She could be long gone by now!" Kero added.

"Actually…I'm back."

Li quickly turned around. Everyone was shocked to see Sakura standing outside the hotel door. But that's not what shocked Li so much.

"You're…talking to me."

"I guess I am," Sakura said half-heartedly.

"Are you all right?" Kero asked.

"I'm…fine," Sakura answered after a brief hesitation. She stoically walked over to the hotel bed and sat down.

Li walked over to Sakura and sat next to her. He was almost expecting her to push him off in the state she was in the last few days. But she didn't. Sakura only looked Li in his eyes.

"Can…we talk?" Li asked nervously.

Sakura nodded. Li breathed a sigh of relief. He was finally going to get a chance to explain. But first he looked over at Madison and nodded affirmatively. Taking a hint, Madison walked over and sat down next to Sakura on the other side of the bed. This was it. Li was prepared for the explanation…and the possibility that Sakura would never forgive him.

"I…think we need to explain ourselves," Li began. Then he looked back. "Meilin?"

"I can take a hint," Meilin sighed. "I'll leave."

Li watched as Meilin walked out the door. Then he braced himself.

"I'm really sorry for what happened, Sakura," Li apologized. "We really didn't mean to hurt you."

"You did hurt me," Sakura uttered sadly. "Li, you were the love of my life. Madison, you were my best friend. Kero, we've been around each other for eight years. Yet you all betrayed me. And it just…hurt."

"We're really sorry," Li and Madison said in unison.

"Can I ask you guys something?" Sakura asked.

"Anything."

"Yeah, anything."

"Why did you two kiss each other?"

Li took a deep breath. "I feel so stupid for saying this. It was because…I felt bad. I felt bad for Madison…and everything she's gone through with all her failed relationships. I just felt sorry for her. I know that probably isn't good enough, but please believe me, Sakura. I don't feel for Madison…in that way. I'm in love with YOU."

Sakura shed a tear and looked at Madison. "And what about you?"

"I…guess I just got caught up in the moment," Madison said, choked up. "I was just so overcome by my emotions when I…talked to Li about all I saw from the Memory Card…and I just…messed up. I was so stupid. Especially…since I don't like Li…in that way." She looked up at Li. "I'm sorry I put you in that position. I shouldn't have done it and I know you had to have been thinking so many things at that moment. But let me assure you, Li. I don't like you in that way. You're my friend…but nothing more. I'm in love with…someone else."

Li immediately realized who it was. "It's Eriol, isn't it?"

Madison giggled sheepishly. "I guess it wasn't so hard to figure out." Then she looked at Sakura. "Please say you'll forgive me, Sakura. I couldn't imagine having to go through life without you as my best friend. We've been through everything together. And I can't go on without you. Please don't hate me, Sakura. I love you and I'll never, ever hurt you like that again."

Sakura stood up. "This hasn't been easy for me to deal with. I've had a while to reflect on what's happened. And yes. You two hurt me deeply. The three of you did. But I've heard you make your cases and I realize…you made one mistake. None of us are perfect. I can't say I'll forget what happened. But I don't hate any of you. I'm sorry I told you that. I didn't mean it. But I can't say I'll forgive you…just yet. I hope you understand."

Li felt like shedding a tear himself. He had to happy for one thing, though. At least Sakura was talking to him now. She was talking to all of them. But Sakura still wasn't willing to forgive…completely.

"We understand," Li finally said.

Li would wait for as long as it takes.

* * *

Meilin tried to hear what was going on. But she couldn't hear anything behind that door. So giving up, Meilin walked away and went next door to what was Li and Madison's room. But Meilin gasped as she walked in. She couldn't believe who was there. It was…

…Sakura. Only this Sakura was different. Her clothes were…much darker than what Meilin saw a few minutes ago.

"How did you get in here?" Meilin demanded. "You were just in the other room."

"Oh shut up!" Sakura snapped. "I don't want to hear any of it. I've been waiting here for a few former friends. WHERE'S MADISON?!"

"In the next room," Meilin answered coolly. "But I thought you weren't talking to her."

"We have something to 'discuss'," Sakura said angrily. "Where is she?"

"Didn't you hear me? I said next door," Meilin replied. "Which is where I thought you were."

"Of course you'd think that," Sakura growled. She walked towards the door. "Get out of my way!"

Meilin stepped out of Sakura's way and looked at her as she walked out. Sakura was being so…snotty. She reminded Meilin of herself for a while. Something was wrong with her. Sensing no good could come of this, Meilin followed Sakura out.

* * *

There had been silence since the emotional conversation. Li couldn't say anything and neither could anyone else. Soon, though, the silence was broken by the knocking on the door.

"I'd better answer that," Madison said. "It's probably Meilin."

Madison got up to answer the door. And she gasped when she saw who it was. Standing at the door with eyes full of hatred, anger, and rage was…

"Sakura?"

It WAS Sakura…but it couldn't be. Li was sitting next to Sakura, yet Sakura was standing at the door glaring a hole right into Madison. This Sakura was different, though. Her clothes were a lot darker than the clothes the other Sakura was wearing. But the next thing that happened distinguished this Sakura from the Sakura sitting next to Li.

"I'LL KILL YOU!!!"

The dark Sakura suddenly tackled Madison and wrapped her hands around her neck. Sakura was trying to choke her. Li quickly got up and tried to restrain that Sakura, but she had Madison's neck in a death grip. She wouldn't let go.

"I'll kill you!" she said again. "You stabbed me in the back!! You were supposed to be my best friend!! And you betrayed me!! JUST…DIE…NOW!!!"

Li kept trying to pull the dark Sakura off of Madison. Then that Sakura finally let go and focused her attention on Li. Sensing impending danger, Kero flew out of Li's hat and flew to the other, brighter Sakura. The darker Sakura stared Li right in the eye and then slapped him in the face. Then she kicked him…below the belt. When Li fell down, Sakura wrapped her hands around his neck and started to choke him.

"You jerk!!" she shouted. "I gave you everything!! I loved you!! And you stabbed me in the back!! I hate you!! I hate you!! I HATE YOU!!"

Li didn't want to take the offensive. He couldn't bring himself to raise a hand to Sakura. But this Sakura had it in for him. She was trying to kill him. Luckily, someone else was standing at the door.

"GET OFF HIM, AVALON!!"

Meilin rushed in and took the dark Sakura down. As that Sakura got up, Meilin kicked her right in the stomach and restrained her by the arms. This dark Sakura didn't want to give up. Though her arms were being held by Meilin, she was still trying to kick away at Li. Li went and checked on Madison, who was coughing and trying to catch her breath, but otherwise was fine. Then Li heard Meilin struggling.

"I can't hold her like this forever! Do something, Li!"

Li looked around for anything he could do. Then he found it. It was the closet. He grabbed the dark Sakura and threw her in the closet and shut the door. Before anything else could happen, Li grabbed the nearby cabinet and pushed it in front of the door. The dark Sakura couldn't get out and Li breathed a momentary sigh of relief.

"What…just happened?" Li asked.

Seeing everything, Kero turned to the brighter Sakura. "Where did you just come from? Where were you about an hour ago?"

Sakura thought about that…hard. She struggled to remember. "I…don't know. All I remember is getting knocked out…and finding myself alone in the Great Salt Lake State Park."

"But you don't remember anything before that?" Kero asked. "You don't remember what hit you?"

Sakura shook her head.

"It's just like I thought," Kero concluded. "It's the Split Card. It's split Sakura into two personalities."

"So they're both Sakura?" Meilin asked.

"It's not a copy," Kero answered. "They're both the genuine article. Only they're different from each other. The one trying to bang the closet door down is Sakura's rage. She's trying to act out all the anger that Sakura felt when she found out about…you know. And this here is Sakura's compassion. She's trying to act out the rest of Sakura's feelings as it concerns you."

"So why are they acting like this?" Meilin asked.

Kero cleared his throat. "Sakura's rage wants to kill Li and Madison because she feels betrayed. She feels like she was stabbed in the back and is acting on her innermost anger over what's happened. And that includes acting out violently.

"Sakura's compassion is just the opposite. She was definitely hurt by what happened, but deep inside, she knows if she ends her friendship with you guys, her life will never be the same. More than anything in the world, she wants things to go back to the way they were. Her deepest hope is to help make things right and hope bygones can be bygones.

"Each of these feelings were offset by the others. Sakura's desire to hurt somebody was restrained by her compassion. And Sakura's desire to forgive you was offset by her rage and anger over what happened. Of course, now that the Split Card's divided her, anything goes. That's why this Sakura was so reasonable and was so eager to hear you guys out and why the other Sakura was in such a hurry to strangle you guys to death."

Madison came to a realization at that moment. "You mean…Sakura didn't really forgive us?"

"Yes…and no," Kero replied. "Remember, she didn't really forgive you guys to begin with. But I know what you mean. Sakura is acting on what both sides of her want the most. And although Sakura doesn't have control over both her halves, when she gets put back together, she'll still remember anything she did while she was split. What I'm trying to say is, Sakura wouldn't have forgiven you if she didn't want to. So I think she really meant what she said, and it wasn't an influence of the Split Card. Of course, there's nothing guaranteeing that she still won't be angry when we put her back together."

"What do we do now?" Madison asked.

"We find the Split Card," Kero answered. "But this definitely won't be easy. To seal the Split Card, both halves of Sakura have to be bound together when its sealed…or else it won't put her back together."

"Both of them?" Meilin growled. "Didn't you just see what this psychopath tried to do to Li? There's no way we can control her!"

"We have no choice!" Kero responded. "We have to take BOTH of them."

The compassionate side of Sakura got to her feet. "I'm ready. I just want to be whole again."

"I'm sure your other half does, too," Kero added. "Of course, she can't see past her anger. So we'll have to guide her through it."

"Good luck!" Meilin uttered cynically. "How long do you think I'll be able to hold her?!"

"There is ONE way," Kero suggested. He looked at Li, and he could see exactly what Kero had in mind.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Li shook his head. "I couldn't…"

"You HAVE to," Kero shot back. "There's no other way."

Li sighed. "Fine. Open the closet door."

Li took a step back and grabbed exactly what he needed. Meilin pushed the cabinet aside and reluctantly opened the closet door. Just like everyone feared, Sakura's rage lunged out, but Li was ready. He shattered a vase over that Sakura, leaving her unconscious on the ground.

"Somebody pick her up," Kero muttered. "And let's go. We're in for a long night."

  


Author's Note: This went a lot longer than I expected. So I'll hold off for now. Come back to see the hunt for the Split Card and the fight to reunite the two halves of Sakura.

  


Any comments? Then mail me at AmericanCaptor@hotmail.com and don't forget to review below.


	22. Seeking the Split Card

Author's Note: Last time, Sakura rushed in headfirst without waiting for her friends and was ambushed by the Split Card. Li and Madison had a heart-to-heart with Sakura's compassion before getting attacked by Sakura's rage. So after knocking out Sakura's rage, everyone heads back to the Great Salt Lake State Park.

  


Cards captured so far: Vision, Heat, Vine, Bell, Sleep, Wind, Angel, Sludge, Multiple, Silence, Smoke, Memory, Chain, Fire, Tornado, and Earth

  


**CCS: The American Cards: Part 22**

  


The Great Salt Lake State Park was empty and the moon was shining down on the Great Salt Lake. It looked absolutely beautiful and it was the kind of moment he wanted to share with Sakura…if she were whole, that is. Li had to do something to get the Split Card. Meilin was getting tired of holding Sakura's rage, whose arms were tied up with the Chain Card. And Madison was busy holding onto Kero…and her camera. Of course, Li didn't even know what he was looking for.

"Do you remember what the Split Card looked like?"

Sakura's compassion, walking along timidly and holding the sealing wand, shook her head. "I'm…sorry. I don't remember. All I remember was waking up right next to…my rage over there."

"So how do we know what we're looking for?" Meilin grunted, trying to hold back Sakura's rage.

"There may be one way," Kero thought. "Sakura…uh, you Sakura…use the Memory Card."

The brighter Sakura searched her pockets and found the Memory Card. "Memory Card! Show me the last time I was in Salt Lake! Memory! Release and dispel!"

Li waited a few moments as Sakura's compassion looked stoically out into space. She was being shown the memories of a few hours ago when she was ambushed. Soon, Li would know what to look for. The brighter Sakura then shook her head.

She looked at Li. "It's…a walking hourglass."

"A walking hourglass?"

Sakura's rage sneered. "Took you long enough to figure it out!"

"Can we get this over with?" Meilin added. "She's really starting to annoy me!"

"We will as soon as we find what we're looking for," Li answered. He took out the Lasin Board. "Source of Light! With ancient spin! Send forth the magic! Power within! Force, know my plight! Release the light!"

The Lasin Board pointed directly into the Great Salt Lake. It had to be inside. So Li threw his hat off and his sword down and…

"Li, NO!!"

…despite Meilin and Madison's protests, dove into the lake. Li looked in front of him to see the hourglass that Sakura was referring to. It was the Split Card. He swam straight for it and grabbed hold of it. The Split Card then started to surface. When it did, Li tried to catch his breath as the Split Card climbed out of the lake.

But when the Split Card got back on solid ground, Meilin got overzealous. She left Sakura's rage and went straight for the Split Card and kicked it back into the lake. While it bought Li some time to get back onto shore, he couldn't believe Meilin left Sakura's rage unguarded. And sure enough, Sakura's rage, with her arms tied up by the Chain Card, went right after Madison and shoulder-tackled her.

"HEY!" Kero shouted. "A little help?!"

Seeing the mistake she made, Meilin went over to restrain Sakura's rage, while the Split Card took that opportunity to try and make a clean getaway. Li was barely getting out of the lake and couldn't stop it. But it was Sakura's compassion who intercepted it.

"You're not leaving!" she shouted. "I want to be whole again!"

The Split Card sidestepped Sakura and passed her. But Sakura wouldn't let it get away. She quickly took out the Earth Card.

"Earth Card! Create a big wall! Release and dispel! Earth Card!"

The Split Card had an open path, until it crashed right into a stone wall created by the Earth Card. Li had to admit that was a good move. Of course, the hardest part was coming. Li could see that Meilin was still struggling with Sakura's rage, who was desperately trying to lunge towards Madison. Both halves had to be bound when the Split Card was sealed, so Li had to move fast.

"Meilin!" he called out. "Move her towards the other Sakura! I'll hold the Split Card!"

Meilin groaned. "Easy for you to say."

Li ran over to the Split Card grabbed the top of it. It was strong, though. It tried to get up. It got to its feet and had Li on its back. Li jumped off its back and prepped his sword.

"Force, know my plight! Release the light! Fire!"

Li swung his sword around and lit a fire right in front of the Split Card. It was now surrounded by the fire, the wall…and Li. It couldn't get away now. But the Split Card still couldn't be taken down. There was one thing missing.

"MEILIN!! HURRY UP!!"

"You try doing this, Li!!" Meilin snapped. She continued to wrestle with Sakura's rage. Even chained up, Sakura's rage could still put up quite a fight. It disturbed Li. Was Sakura THAT mad at him? Then he thought of what a stupid question that was.

That's when Sakura's compassion tried to do something. She took a big risk and recalled the Chain Card.

Li gasped as it happened. "Sakura, NO!"

Loose of its chain, Sakura's rage tried to jump for Madison, but Meilin had her by the ankle. She was persistent. Then Li saw what Sakura's compassion was trying to do. She walked over to her rage and took out the Chain Card again.

"Chain Card! Bind us together! Chain Card! Release and dispel!"

A large chain came out and tied the two halves of Sakura by the waist. While Sakura's rage had her arms bound, the arms of Sakura's compassion were loose and holding the sealing wand. She tried to walk towards the Split Card, but the rage was resisting. Sakura's compassion looked back.

"You want this just as much as I do," she said. "Please…let's just end this so we can be whole again."

Sakura's rage took a cold glance at Madison, then Li. Then she hung her head down. It looked like she was finally cooperating. The two halves of Sakura walked passed Li and up to the surrounded Split Card. Sakura's compassion held out the wand.

"Split Card! Return to your power confined! Split Card!"

While the Split Card was being sealed, a bright light lit up. Li briefly covered his eyes until the light was cleared. Then Li looked in front of him to see that both halves of Sakura were reunited. Sakura was one again. Li quickly ran up to her and embraced her in a huge hug. Unfortunately, much to Li's dismay, Sakura didn't return the hug. Li broke the hug and looked Sakura in the eye. She looked…sad.

"Sakura…?" he began.

"Please," Sakura said sadly. "Let's just go."

Sakura tried to walk out, but Li would have none of it. He held her arm and looked into her emerald green eyes.

"Sakura…are you all right?"

"I'm…just getting over this," she answered.

"Sakura?" Kero suddenly asked. He had found his way into Sakura's pocket. "I know we must sound like a broken record by now, but…can you please forgive us?"

Sakura didn't say anything. She just glanced over at Madison and called her over. When Madison came over, there was another period of silence.

Finally, Sakura broke that silence. "Do you have your camera with you, Madison?"

Madison nodded and took out her camera. Sakura motioned for Madison to turn it on and she did.

Sakura cleared her throat. "I didn't think I'd be looking into the camera and thinking about…well, this. But I knew that after all that's happened, I've had some time to think. I pretty much remember everything I've experienced from my rage and my compassion.

"I remember my compassion doing what I, as a whole, couldn't. I actually started to listen to my friends. And when I heard their reasons for doing what they did, I didn't know what to think. It kind of made me feel good because I know they didn't do it to deliberately hurt me.

"But then I remember my rage and I think to myself…they should never have kissed each other in the first place. Even if they didn't mean to hurt me, they never should have done it. But I've gone on about a week without them, and I can honestly say that life hasn't been the same and I know they feel the same way. I want more than anything to forgive them…but it's just so hard. Trust is a very fragile thing. I don't want to get hurt again.

"So I'm using this time to say this: I'm not ready to forgive just yet. I can't go on like nothing ever happened. But I must also remember that these are my friends…and they didn't mean to hurt me. I'm so confused right now. That's why I need some more time to sort out my feelings. But there's an old saying that time heals all wounds." Sakura walked over to Li…and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I just hope that's true."

Without saying anything more, Sakura started to walk away. She was probably going back to the hotel and didn't want to wait for anybody. Holding back a cry of frustration, Li looked over at Madison.

"You really think she'll forgive us?"

Madison looked over at Sakura, who had disappeared out of sight. "She will, eventually."

* * *

Sakura sighed as she waited at the bus depot. Li and Meilin were buying the tickets and that left Sakura alone with Madison. A day had passed since she became whole again, and this day felt so different. Sakura looked over at her friend and for the first time in more than a week, she didn't feel complete and utter contempt. Sakura was actually starting to feel…good again.

Madison wasn't, though, and Sakura knew why. She was in fear of losing her best friend and, for a while, Sakura feared the same thing. But after all that's happened, Sakura was beginning to feel that her friends were heartily sorry for what they had done. Sakura didn't want to be mad at them anymore. It wasn't worth it.

That's when Sakura decided that it was time to forgive. But she didn't want to say anything now. She wanted to tell them all at once. So she would wait until she reached her next destination.

And that's when a big Hispanic man, about 250 pounds, sat next to them. He smiled at Sakura and tipped his hat. "How you doing? Are we waiting for the same bus?"

"Maybe," Sakura answered. "Which one are you waiting for?"

"I'm waiting for a bus back to Chicago," he replied. "I'm Johnny. Where are two young girls like yourselves heading to?"

"We're…on our way to Phoenix," Madison told him. "We're just waiting for a few of our friends."

"Oh, is this the bus to Phoenix?" Johnny asked. "I'm in the wrong place. What am I thinking? I'd better go before I miss my bus." He got up and tipped his hat again. "I'll see you around."

After Johnny left, Sakura heard a bus approaching. As soon as the bus came, Li and Meilin came running with the bus tickets.

"What took you guys?" Madison asked.

"Some big guy!" Meilin snapped. "He had a big hat on and had to be at least twice our size. He said something about finding a bus to Chicago."

Sakura shook her head. Maybe it was best she didn't say anything.

"The funny thing is, he wanted to know where we were going," Li continued. "Or I don't know. Maybe he's just a social kind of guy."

Sakura walked next to Meilin. "You can tell me more on the bus."

It looked like Li and Madison were still feeling down when they looked at Sakura. Sakura could even hear Kero sigh from under Li's hat. But they were still thinking Sakura was mad at them. That wasn't the case anymore.

And they would know that soon enough.

* * *

Carter continued driving aimlessly west. Cole heard something about the suspects heading out west, but it wasn't known where. And when Carter told Cole about the 'connections' he was using, he was less than thrilled. Of course, Carter used the only excuse he knew. These guys were more covert than any group of guys he knew and Carter and Cole NEEDED the help.

Things stayed quiet, though. There were no more leads and Carter wanted to pack it in. He was just waiting for his phone to ring so he could hear that this mission had been aborted. There was no such luck. But just then, Carter's phone did ring.

And he eagerly picked it up. "This is Carter."

_"How you doin' Carter?"_

Carter didn't recognize this voice. "Who is this?"

_"It's one of Andre's boys, Johnny. I heard you're looking for two kids?"_

"Four kids," Carter clarified. His hopes were starting to go up. "It's just two with pictures. Why do you ask?"

_"I found them. They're getting on a bus to Phoenix."_

"YES!" Carter shouted. "Look, I don't care what you guys have to do, do anything, but get everybody you know in Phoenix to keep an eye out. If they leave, I want to know. Remember, Andre owes me one, so you'd better do this right!"

_"Wait…ANYTHING?"_

Carter quickly backtracked. "Well…anything legal. Do whatever you have to, but keep an eye on them. And that means having guys patrolling the bus depot."

_"That's it? The bus depot?"_

"We have to be inconspicuous, don't we?"

_"I guess so. I hope this is worth it."_

"Andre will make it worth it. Just get it done."

That's when the phone hung up. Carter chuckled nonchalantly and looked at his 'partner', giving a quick half-smile.

"We got something."

  


Any comments? The series is winding down. Do not forget to review below.


	23. The Grand Canyon

Author's Note: This series is starting to wind down. The next destination is Phoenix, Arizona and with only three American Cards left, which one is it? And how dangerous is it?

  


Cards captured so far: Vision, Heat, Vine, Bell, Sleep, Wind, Angel, Sludge, Multiple, Silence, Smoke, Memory, Chain, Fire, Tornado, Earth, and Split

  


**CCS: The American Cards: Part 23**

  


Sakura looked out the window and sighed. She didn't realize it until she got on the bus, but there were only three American Cards remaining. Not only that, but she also realized that she had nearly gone completely cross-country. She was nearly approaching the west coast. This journey began in Boston and Sakura was nearly in Phoenix. Of course, a lot had happened since that time.

One of those things being the kiss between Li and Madison that didn't seem to go away. But it seemed like ancient history now. Sakura realized how sorry they were for what they had done. She was ready to forgive them now. Of course, they didn't know that.

"So when do you think I should tell them?" Sakura asked.

There was one person to hear her out through this entire bus trip and that was Meilin. She was definitely a better listener than she used to be. Sakura went on and on throughout the trip and Meilin didn't say a word…which was more than unusual.

"You COULD tell them NOW!" she responded sourly. It was the same Meilin.

"I want to be sure we're alone," Sakura added.

"In other words, you want everyone present except me."

"Well…you don't have a problem with that, do you?"

Meilin just glared at Sakura. Apparently, Meilin didn't like the concept of being left out and when Sakura thought about it, it didn't seem fair, either. After all…she was her friend, too.

"What am I thinking about?" Sakura asked herself. "Of course you should be there, Meilin. I want things to be the way they were…before it happened."

Meilin sighed. "So you and Li will be getting back together, huh?"

Sakura frowned. "Do you still think Li and I don't belong together?"

Meilin looked Sakura straight in the eye. "If you would have asked me eight years ago if you and Li would end up together, I'd have said you were crazy. I always thought it would be him and me. But…if there's one thing I've realized in the last few weeks, it's that………Iwaswrong."

"What's that?"

Meilin hesitated and struggled to get the words out. "Iwaswrong."

"Say that again?"

"I was wrong," she said again. "I always thought you two would be better off not being 'together'. But when I saw the way the two of you have been these last few days…I don't know. You two just weren't the same. It's like you two couldn't go on without each other at your side. I just knew it wasn't a void I could fill…for either of you. No one could fill that void…unless you two got together again. I mean, I look at Li right now and he's still got that despondent look on his face. As much as I hate to admit it…he needs you…and you need him."

Sakura didn't know what to say. To hear this from…Meilin was unreal. She felt like she was dreaming, but this was very real.

"Do you really feel that way?"

Meilin nodded. "I do now."

Sakura was already sure she would forgive her friends, but she didn't know if she could restart a relationship with Li. But Meilin's words made it seem a lot easier.

Then the bus suddenly stopped. Sakura looked out the window and saw that the bus stopped in the middle of Highway 64. She wondered what was wrong, until the announcement came in through the speaker.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we've experienced an unexpected delay due to circumstances beyond our control. We are now going to take a three-hour stop while this problem is hopefully resolved. In the meantime, feel free to check out the world-famous Grand Canyon, just north of here."

Sakura didn't know what to think. The last thing she wanted now was a delay. She was already well into January and the schoolwork was beginning to pile up. What was delaying the bus?

* * *

It didn't take Sakura long to find out what was holding up the bus. A furniture truck had been tipped over in the middle of the highway and the road was closed. Sakura couldn't imagine why the bus couldn't just go the other way, but she guessed that somebody was hoping to hype the Grand Canyon.

"So how long are we out here again?"

Sakura turned around to see Li standing right by her and looking at the furniture truck. His voice sounded a little nervous, as if he was afraid Sakura would lash out…or he was reaching out to her.

"Three hours," Sakura sighed. "I guess we should…"

The conversation ended there. Both Li and Sakura looked out towards the north side. Kero stuck his head out of Li's hat and looked out as well.

"It's an American Card," Li said.

Sakura sensed it, too. But she was skeptical. "Out here? I thought I saw it in Phoenix."

"It might have moved on," Kero tried saying. "It's probably somewhere out in that direction."

"That direction?"

Sakura turned around again to see Meilin and Madison. It's like everyone seemingly came out of nowhere. Now they were also looking out towards the supposed direction of the next American Card.

Madison shook her head. "That way leads out to…the Grand Canyon."

"The Grand Canyon?" Sakura repeated, her voice nearly cracking. She heard a lot about the Grand Canyon. She heard of the enormous size of the massive cliff. What could be hiding out there? "I guess we should go then."

"Wait!" Madison cut her off. "I think I might have something for you."

* * *

Sakura fidgeted with her costume again. The red leather was definitely tight, and she was getting her hands caught on the ribbons that extended out of the shoulder pads. But the red ensemble didn't do the Grand Canyon justice. As Sakura looked over the railing in an empty part of the Grand Canyon National Park, she could see the spectrum of colors shining off the canyon's rocks.

"I…don't see anything," Sakura said quietly.

"Keep looking," Kero whispered. "It's around here somewhere."

"I can feel it's around here," Li added. He pulled out the Lasin Board. "Force, know my plight! Release the light!"

The Lasin Board's light pointed into the huge abyss that was the Grand Canyon. Sakura almost lost the light in the midst of the tremendous sunlight. But then she saw where the Lasin Board light was pointing. Meilin and Madison walked over to see it, too. The light pointed at an unusually bright portion of jagged rocks.

"Can we flush it out?" Sakura asked.

"Not from over here," Kero answered. "Maybe Li can, though."

Li had Meilin hand him his bag and he took out his sword. He peered out into the Grand Canyon's cliff. "Force, know my plight! Release the light! Lightning!"

A bolt of lightning shot nearly out of sight until it hit the bright jagged rocks. Then everyone heard a screeching sound. The bright light began to move. It seemingly went airborne and turned blue. It then took the shape of a fierce hawk.

Kero gasped. "It's the Water Card! And it looks like it flies!"

The Water Card immediately flew over Sakura and dropped about a gallon of water on her. It then sprayed Li, Meilin, and Madison before taking to the sky again.

"That's just great," Meilin muttered. "It'll take me hours to dry this off."

"My camera's drenched," Madison complained. "I'm just glad it wasn't on."

Sakura then growled as the Water Card screeched again. Unfortunately, she knew only one way to catch it. It meant using the Angel Card again. So she took out her key.

"Key of Clow. Power of Magic. Power of Light. Surrender the wand. The force ignite. Release!" Then she took out the Angel Card. "Angel Card! Release!"

After the wings grew, Sakura took to the skies…leaving Li on the ground.

"Sakura! You sure about this?!"

"I can do this!" she shouted back.

Sakura wasn't mad at Li, yet she was still refusing any help. It's probably because Sakura was feeling confident. The time to wrap this quest up was quickly approaching. And Sakura would bring that day closer by confronting the Water Card in the air.

She flew over to meet the flying watery bird. Sakura had become a lot better at flying since the first time in Orlando. Then she stopped in mid-air and faced off with the Water Card. It screeched again and sprayed Sakura in the face with a cold stream of water before taking a nosedive. Sakura followed it and went diving through the enormous crack in the Earth known as the Grand Canyon. By the time they both stopped, Sakura peered up at the sky to see that solid walking ground was way beyond reach.

The Water Card then rushed Sakura and tackled her, sending her within inches of colliding with some of the canyon's jagged rocks, nearly knocking Kero out of her pocket. She floated up and didn't make any forward moves, but just took out the Tornado Card.

"Tornado Card! Surround the Water Card! Tornado! Release and dispel!"

A large tornado flew out towards the Water Card and caught it in its fierce winds. The Water Card tried to convert itself into a stream, but it continued to swirl as if a giant transparent toilet were being flushed. Then the tornado threw the Water Card into the jagged rocks right next to Sakura. Sakura flew back and pulled out the Bell Card.

"Bell Card! Send your chimes throughout this canyon! Release and dispel! Bell Card!"

The Bell Card came out in its cloaked form and its cloak began to toll loudly. The sounds of the bells were deafening and Sakura could see the result she hoped for. The portion of the Grand Canyon directly above the Water Card started to shatter and collapse. The stack of rocks came down in an avalanche on top of the Water Card, leaving it buried…for now.

Sakura flew towards the stack of fallen rocks and saw the Water Card trying to creep through the cracks. But before it could get out, Sakura held out her wand.

"Water Card! Return to your power confined! Water Card!"

Before it could come out, the Water Card was sealed and Sakura was careful not to drop it. After that was done, Sakura looked down at a sight that nearly nauseated her. The LONG fall down was tremendous and sent a shiver down Sakura's spine.

Ditto for Kero. "Can we go back up now? I know I can fly and everything, but these sights still make me feel queasy."

Sakura couldn't argue with that and flew back up towards solid ground. She made sure to land right beside Li. Li looked at the Water Card in Sakura's hand and then looked her in her emerald green eyes.

"Are you all right?"

"I'm feeling great," Sakura smiled. Then she kissed Li right on the lips, a move he clearly wasn't expecting.

Li's hat flopped over the front of his face as he looked on, confused. "…Wow…what was that for?"

"It's to say I forgive you," Sakura answered. Then she walked over to Madison and hugged her. "And I forgive you, too. I'm sorry I scared you like that. Nothing could ever put an end to our friendship…for too long. You're my best friend and I love you."

All that followed after those words was a long period of silence. No one had anything to say. It set the somber mood of this occasion. Sakura felt like just walking back to the bus. But when she made her move, Li walked up to her and kissed her.

"I love you."

Sakura blushed. "I love you, too."

Without saying anything else, Sakura resumed the kiss, but out of the corner of her eye, she could see Madison getting this all on tape. Things were already beginning to get back to normal. So after the long kiss, Sakura and Li led the way back to the bus, walking arm in arm. But Sakura couldn't help but hear a quiet Meilin walking behind them.

"Maybe it's for the best."

* * *

Johnny stuck his head out from behind a big rock. He watched as the four kids walked away. But did he really see what he thought he did? Did he see that girl…flying?

This was too weird. He saw a girl flying on angel's wings and he saw a big blue bird that was spewing out water by the gallons. He didn't know what to make of any of it. But he knew what he would do. He knew what he had to do.

He had to call Carter. This was unreal.

* * *

A day later, Sakura sat on the bench of the bus depot. Having captured the Water Card, Sakura had only two American Cards left. The Water Card must've been the one dwelling in Phoenix, because when she used the Vision Card, she saw that the next card was somewhere else. She looked up to see the Interstate 110 and a huge arena with those fateful words:

**Staples Center**

The next American Card was in Los Angeles. And that's where they would all go next. Madison and Meilin were out buying the tickets. But as Sakura sat next to Li, she couldn't help but see someone familiar in the big crowd of people. She almost recognized the big man she met a few days ago. She thought she saw Johnny. Then he disappeared into the crowd.

She shook that off, though. He said he was on his way to Chicago. So it couldn't be him. She would just worry about matters…at hand.

So she reached over and kissed Li again.

"Did I tell you that I love you?"

Li blushed. "I love you, too."

Kero almost retched. "Do I have to put up with this for the rest of the trip?"

Sakura realized that maybe he would. This could go on forever…and she would love every minute of it.

* * *

Carter impatiently drove down the Interstate 10, desperately trying to reach Phoenix before the four kids moved on. If they did, then this wouldn't get any easier. Then he got a sinking feeling when his phone began to ring. He let it ring a few times, not wanting to answer it.

"Your phone's ringing," Cole pointed out drolly.

"Yeah, thanks," Carter muttered. He picked it up. "Carter. Who is this?"

"Um…Carter? It's…Johnny. How's it going?"

"I really didn't want to hear from you right now, honestly, because this can only be bad news. It IS bad news, isn't it?"

"Um…I know where they're going."

"Yeah, where are they going? I need to know."

"They're…heading to Los Angeles. But…Carter…who are these kids?"

"Supposed threats to national security. Why do you ask?"

"Um…that's it?"

Carter didn't like this nervous tone. "Johnny, is there something you're not telling me?"

"It's just that…I saw the kids. I kept my eye on them just like you asked. But…I thought I saw one of them, one of the girls…flying…on angel's wings."

Carter couldn't believe what he was hearing. And he didn't. "Johnny, have you been smoking?"

"Carter, I wasn't smoking. I swear I saw her flying. She was chasing after some big blue bird that shot out water."

Carter shook his head. "You HAVE been smoking. Come on, Johnny. A flying girl and a big water bird? That's definitely a hallucination."

"But…it looked so real. I just…jeez. That must've been some crazy stuff I had. Look Carter, I don't know what I saw, but I DO know that they're headed for Los Angeles. That much is true."

"All right, thanks Johnny," Carter sighed. He hung up and kept on driving. He snickered when he thought about what he said. "Can you believe that, Cole? A girl with angel's wings? A flying blue bird? That's…that's…that's…"

Cole finished for him. "Like an anteater lurking around the Oval Office?"

Carter's demeanor suddenly turned dead serious. He hadn't thought about that at all. "Hey…you're right." He shook his head. "We're going to find those kids. And we're going to find out just what's going on."

Carter swore to himself he'd find out what was going on. He wouldn't go cross-country to come up empty. He would find those kids.

  


Any comments? The final parts are coming. Don't forget to review below.


	24. Showtime in Los Angeles

Author's Note: There are 2 American Cards remaining and one of them is in Los Angeles, California. Which one is it? And…is the other one nearby?

  


Cards captured so far: Vision, Heat, Vine, Bell, Sleep, Wind, Angel, Sludge, Multiple, Silence, Smoke, Memory, Chain, Fire, Tornado, Earth, Split, and Water

  


**CCS: The American Cards: Part 24**

  


The sun was beginning to set in on Los Angeles, California. Of all the places Sakura Avalon had seen so far, she had never seen anything like Los Angeles. There were so many people around literally every corner. It took her hours just to get into her hotel room. And it was the only place in America where Madison managed to secure a hotel room for four. That was a good thing. It would give them all a chance to make up a game plan.

Sakura sat by the window and looked outside. It was great that Madison found a Holiday Inn right next to the Staples Center, where she knew the next American Card was dwelling. But she also discovered something disturbing. The traffic was tremendous.

"There's a lot of people out there," Sakura pointed out. "There isn't something at the Staples Center tonight, is there?"

"I'm afraid there is," Li sighed. He was looking at today's _Los Angeles Times_. "The Los Angeles Lakers are in town."

Sakura should have known. There just had to be some kind of complication. And the noise from the traffic was almost deafening. Then…without warning…it stopped. Then a few seconds later, it started up again. That sounded strange…but it looked like no one else noticed.

"They aren't sold out, are they?" Meilin asked, getting back on track.

"I hope not," Madison thought. "Then we'd have to do this the hard way."

"Aren't we always doing things the hard way?" Kero pointed out. "I don't have a problem with disrupting a basketball game if it means capturing one of the last American Cards. The problem is, I want to know what we're up against. There hasn't been anything strange happening since we've arrived."

Unfortunately, Kero was right. There was nothing strange to help indicate to Sakura what American Card was hiding out in Los Angeles, and Sakura wanted to hurry up. As much as she enjoyed traveling across the United States and expanding her horizons, Sakura was quickly becoming very homesick. She missed Japan…and her family.

"We'd better try the box office," Li suggested. They all headed for the door, but noticed Sakura still sitting by the window. "You coming, Sakura?"

Sakura shook off the cobwebs. She was almost out of it. She got to her feet and walked out of the hotel room with her friends.

* * *

Carter was driving as fast as he could go. He was driving a cool 100mph on the Interstate 10 in Texas. It was a few days since he had his solid lead. Andre's contact told him that the four kids were headed for Arizona. Since then, things had changed. Johnny had called again, letting Carter know that they were now heading for Los Angeles.

"Can't this thing go any faster?" Cole demanded.

Carter peeked at his speedometer. "We're going 100mph. What else do you want? Trust me, we'll get there. It's not like it matters. If they leave, then we'll be the first to know. I got contacts down there."

"They won't leave," Cole said confidently. "I don't think they'll leave Los Angeles."

"How do you know?" Carter asked curiously.

"Call it a gut instinct. But I think they're planning something there. They've just about gone as far as they can go."

Carter just let the conversation end there. He just maintained his speed. If he was lucky, he'd be in California by the next day…or night. This manhunt was coming to a close. He would finally find this threat to national security and help neutralize it. This would END.

* * *

The line to get into the Staples Center was incredibly long. A lot of people were waiting to see the World Champion Los Angeles Lakers take on the Cleveland Cavaliers. Luckily, they did find tickets earlier in the day and it was a good thing that the Staples Center was within walking distance of the Holiday Inn. The traffic on Figueroa Street hadn't died down at all. It was still jammed…but with the occasional moments of deafening silence, which got Sakura's attention.

Nonetheless, everyone got into the arena and took their seats. As much money as Madison had, there was no way they could get courtside tickets. Those seats were held for the season ticket holders and, of course, the Hollywood celebrities that attended each game. But Sakura could see the court well from her seat about thirty rows above the half-court line.

"These are the world champions?" Meilin asked curiously.

"I never thought I'd get a chance to see another NBA game," Sakura said excitedly. She remembered seeing her first NBA game. It was the season opener between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Sacramento Kings, which was held in Tokyo. Li had gotten her two tickets as a gift.

The teams were introduced and they took the court. Then there was the tip-off, where the already electric Los Angeles crowd erupted. The first two quarters were all the action that was expected from an NBA game. But it wasn't until Kobe Bryant was about to take a three-point shot that things began to get weird.

Kobe jumped for the final shot of the half…and an unusual whistle sounded. He stayed in mid- air…frozen. The crowd became deafeningly quiet. Sakura looked around to see that they were frozen, too. In fact, everyone was static. No one was moving. Not the crowd, the players on the court, not even Meilin or Madison. The only ones moving were Sakura, Li, and Kero. Everything had…

"I knew it!" Sakura shouted, which echoed throughout the arena. "You know what this is, don't you, Li?"

Li nodded. "It's the Stop Card!"

Kero flew up. "It's THAT Stop Card, right there!"

Sakura could see the Stop Card standing by the entrance to the locker room. It was a short ghostly-looking elf with a coach's whistle, which explained the sound Sakura heard. Sakura and Li got out of their seats and made their way down to the court. They passed each frozen security guard and fan and ran towards the Stop Card, who started running at the sight of the Cardcaptors. It ran until it reached a door and went inside. Sakura and Li followed the Stop Card inside that door and heard that same unusual whistle. Then a buzzer sounded.

And Sakura knew what that meant. "You don't think that's…"

"…The end of the half?" Li finished for her. "I'm afraid so."

Kero added to that. "And that means…"

Sakura looked around her and she could tell exactly where she was. This was the Los Angeles Lakers' locker room. So knowing they'd be spotted if they didn't move, Sakura and Li ducked inside the shower room and behind one of the showers. Hopefully, they wouldn't be seen. Then, sure enough, the Lakers stormed into the locker room. There would be no way for Sakura and Li to escape until this brief team meeting was over. And that might be enough time for the Stop Card to escape.

"You see what happens when you two stop fighting?" Coach Phil Jackson demanded of his team. "We're a TEAM! We're not in this for individuals! When we play as a team, that's when we start winning!"

Kobe Bryant looked sourly at his center. "Just know when to give me the ball."

"Don't give me that!" Shaquille O'Neal shot back. "You need to know when to stop being greedy…and remember who wins us games."

"It's not you and your free throw shooting."

"I don't see you doing much. Only 30% from the field."

"That's enough!" the coach snapped. He reached over and gripped the jerseys of his two stars. "I've had it! When are you two…?"

Then the whistle blew again.

Everyone stood frozen…including Phil Jackson, who had Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant by the jerseys. This was the big chance for them to escape. Li took this opportunity to rush out of the locker room, but he looked back through the open door to see Sakura wasn't done. Sakura had something in mind.

"What are you doing?" Li asked. "We have to go!"

"Just a second," Sakura called back. She decided to try something. Sure enough, the limbs of the frozen people could be moved, which was perfect. Sakura released Phil Jackson's grip on his players and put his hands behind his back. Then she moved Shaq and Kobe's right arms and hands until they joined together in a friendly handshake. Sakura giggled at this sight. She wondered if this could really make peace between the two disgruntled stars. When she was finished with that, she ran out to join Li.

"What was that for?" Li asked.

"I'm just trying to help," Sakura grinned.

"Can we help ourselves first?" Kero groaned. "The Stop Card might be long gone by now."

Sakura realized that and signaled to Li. He took out the Lasin Board.

"Force, know my plight! Release the light!"

The Lasin Board's light shot out and pointed…

"It's…behind us!"

Sakura and Li turned around to see the Stop Card standing by a wooden table. They ran after it, but the little elf spilled a container of Gatorade that was sitting on the table right into their path and they slipped. Before she could get up, Sakura could see the Stop Card running back onto the court. When she got up, she took out her key.

"Key of Clow. Power of Magic. Power of Light. Surrender the wand. The force ignite. Release!"

Sakura took her key and, without waiting for Li, followed the Stop Card back onto the court. It wasn't on the offensive, though. Rather, the Stop Card was dribbling a basketball towards a rack full of basketballs. That's when it went on the offensive. It lifted the rack and tossed it towards Sakura.

Sakura quickly defended herself. "Windy! Release!"

The Wind Card blew the approaching rack and all the basketballs that fell out into the air and dropped them behind Sakura.

"Sakura! Watch it!"

Sakura looked back and realized that she almost nailed Li. She was getting frustrated and was beginning to make mistakes. Then she saw the Stop Card jump on top of one of the rims and sit there. Sakura couldn't jump that high.

"You two know what to do, don't you?" Kero pointed out affirmatively.

They did. Li took his position in front of the rim. Sakura took a deep breath and started running towards him. Sakura jumped right into Li, who boosted her up into the air. She was about to collide into the Stop Card…until it blew its whistle. Sakura stopped moving forward. She looked down and saw she was hanging above the ground and when the whistle blew again…she fell.

Li ran up to the fallen Sakura. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine," Sakura lied. She got up and fiercely looked at the Stop Card, before looking Li in the eye. "It thinks it's so smart. But there's more than one way to stop it."

"What do you have in mind?" Li asked.

"Same plan," Sakura answered. "But with a little twist."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. Just get ready to give me a boost again. I'll handle the rest."

Li seemed reluctant, but he took his position again. Sakura took her position at the other side of the court. Only before she ran, she took out a card that would ensure a different result.

"Silence Card! Release!"

The whole arena became silent. Sakura ran towards Li again and as she jumped, he gave her another boost. Sakura was heading straight for the Stop Card again, but when it tried to blow its whistle, there was only silence. Sakura couldn't be stopped this time. She knocked the Stop Card off its perch on top of the rim and they both fell to the ground.

That fall didn't keep the Stop Card down for long, though. It quickly got up and ran off the court and back towards the locker room area, but it forgot about its trap. The Stop Card slipped on the Gatorade it spilled. Sakura knew that she could strike while it was down. She took out the Chain Card.

"Chain Card! Hold it in place! Chain! Release and dispel!"

The Chain Card released a long chain that tied the Stop Card up. It wasn't going anywhere. So Sakura and Li ran up to it and Sakura prepared to finish the job.

"Stop Card! Return to your power confined! Stop Card!"

The Stop Card was finally sealed and everything started to move again. Sakura looked around her and noticed she was standing near the Los Angeles Lakers' locker room again. And they were just starting to come out. They seemingly ignored Sakura and Li, giving them occasional glances as they passed by. Maybe they assumed they were supposed to be there. But Sakura couldn't help but notice that Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, who were also passing by, weren't at each other's throats anymore.

"I know we can put aside our differences for now," Shaq said to Kobe. "We have a game to win."

"Isn't it weird, though?" Kobe asked. "One minute, we were getting yanked over by the coach, and the next…we shook hands. I don't even remember reaching out for a handshake, either."

"That was weird," Shaq admitted. "Frankly, thinking about how it happened makes my head hurt. Let's just go out and win."

Kobe shook his head did his best after-school special impression. "Let's never fight again."

The two stars and the rest of the team passed by. Li and Kero shot Sakura a glance, knowing how that handshake happened. Sakura only shed a bead of sweat and grinned.

"We should find an exit."

"And leave Meilin and Madison?"

Sakura sighed. "I'll call Madison. But it'd be a little awkward to find our seats from here. Let's just find an exit."

* * *

The next night, as she sat in the hotel room, Sakura could feel that it was almost over. There was only one American Card remaining. But shortly after leaving the Staples Center, the biggest of all setbacks occurred.

Li asked her again. "You mean the Vision Card didn't show you anything?"

"Nothing," Sakura answered again. "The Vision Card only showed me darkness. It wasn't showing me anything."

Kero tried to put his thoughts in. "Maybe it's just another meaning. It might not be that Vision refused to show you, but it might be that the next card is in a place of darkness. Try it again, Sakura."

Sakura looked at the Vision Card she held in her hand. "Vision! Show me the next American Card! Release!"

The vision came again. Sakura was surrounded by darkness, just as she had seen before. Only this time, she saw light. The vision was starting to become clear now. Sakura looked out to see that she was in a cave. She saw that the light outside led out to a forest. Where was she?

Then Sakura saw another vision. She now found herself just outside the forest. She was on a highway that went through the forest. She then saw the conveniently placed sign.

**San Bernardino Forest**

Then the vision faded. Sakura saw the eager looks on the faces of her friends. They were awaiting word on what she had seen.

"It's a forest," she finally said. "San Bernardino Forest."

Li peeked at the road map next to him. "That's nearby. About a half-hour drive."

"We'll need to rent a car," Madison added. "We can get one first thing in the morning."

Sakura concurred, but she couldn't help but wonder why Vision wouldn't show her anything in the first place. Shaking that off, she turned on the hotel's TV. The channel was turned to ESPN.

_"Earlier today, cameras caught up to Kobe and Shaq and they assured everyone that there was no longer turmoil between the two. They both stated that they had settled any differences and are ready to play as a team. And they attributed it all to a handshake, which they only described as 'transcendental and unworldly'."_

Sakura felt proud. Though no one would ever know it, it looked she made an impact in Los Angeles. It would be another in a long list of memories of being in the United States.

But tomorrow, it would all end…hopefully.

* * *

Night had fallen. Carter was still driving on the Interstate 10, but he could see the one sign he had been waiting to see.

**Los Angeles City Limits**

"We're here," Cole growled. "It's about time."

"How do we know they're still here, though?" Carter pointed out. "They might be gone by now."

"That's a risk we'll have to take," Cole muttered. "Find us a hotel. We'll think of our next move tomorrow."

Weeks had passed since this nationwide manhunt began. Carter was itching for this to end. He was getting sick of being around the sour CIA agent. But he also wanted to find out what these four kids had in store that would threaten national security. Carter still wanted answers. And he would get them.

Another twenty minutes passed before Carter remembered an old hotel he stayed in a long time ago. So he got off the freeway, right near the Staples Center, and drove up to a Holiday Inn.

Hopefully, they would have a room, because Carter was tired of driving for so long. He wanted to get to sleep…then think of his next move.

  


Author's Note: A Holiday Inn? The plot thickens. There's only one card left, but has luck run out? Come back tomorrow and find out.

  


Any comments? The end is near. Don't forget to review below.


	25. Face-off

Author's Note: It's time for a quick recap. After sealing the Stop Card, Sakura, Li, Madison, Meilin, and Kero are set to head into the San Bernardino Forest to find the final American Card. But what they don't know is that the two agents looking for them is in their hotel at this very moment.

  


Cards captured so far: Vision, Heat, Vine, Bell, Sleep, Wind, Angel, Sludge, Multiple, Silence, Smoke, Memory, Chain, Fire, Tornado, Earth, Split, Water, and Stop

  


**CCS: The American Cards: Part 25**

  


It was early in the morning. The sun was just beginning to rise, but Sakura couldn't sleep. Everyone else was sleeping soundly, but not Sakura. She checked the clock and saw it was six in the morning. She carefully got out of bed, put on a robe, and walked over to the door. She walked outside the door of Room 6 and headed towards the vending machine right in front of her. Maybe she could relieve her tension with a pack of Oreos. When she put her dollar in, however, the machine jammed.

Sakura groaned and headed back inside. She knew that if she could put another dollar in, she might get another pack and that loose one.

* * *

Carter was dead tired, yet he couldn't sleep. In fact, he decided to get up. Carter got his sweat pants on and walked outside the door of Room 7. He sighted the nearby vending machine and was in the mood for a pack of Oreos. He could see that there was a pack already stuck there. Hoping to loosen it, Carter put his dollar in and punched the numbers in.

Sure enough, Carter got two for the price of one. The loose pack fell and another pack was pushed out. Grinning, he took the two packs and wandered back into his room, just as he heard the door from Room 6 open. If those people wanted that loose pack of Oreos, then they were out of luck.

* * *

Sakura had her dollar and went back to the vending machine. To her dismay, the loose pack of Oreos was gone. This machine had eaten her dollar…and someone got a free pack of Oreos. She assumed it was the guy who just walked into Room 7. That jerk.

Groaning, Sakura put her dollar into the machine again. And the second time wasn't any different. The machine jammed on her again, and once again, the Oreos were stuck. Sakura gave up. She just made her way back into her room and decided to shower before everyone woke up.

* * *

It was time to check out. Sakura and Li were waiting outside the Holiday Inn exit for Madison, Meilin, and Kero to come back with that rental car. It would be a long day. They would have to find the San Bernardino Forest and look for the final American Card there.

"Are you all right?" Li asked. He could see the concerned look on the face of Sakura.

"I'm just trying to think about what American Card could be hiding in the forest."

"We'll find it, Sakura."

"But it bothers me, though. Usually, the Vision Card shows me what I'm up against, or at least gives me a faint idea. This time, it didn't show me anything. I don't know what we're about to face."

Li sighed. "Whatever it is…we'll face it together."

Finally, after a long wait, the rental car pulled up. Madison waved from outside the window. Sakura and Li picked up their luggage and headed outside.

* * *

Carter was heading for the lobby to check out, but he gasped at the sight outside. It was them. The two kids were outside, getting into a rental car. Carter tried to run outside, while making a call to his partner.

"Cole! Get out here! I found them!"

That was all Agent Arnold Cole had to hear. He immediately rushed towards the lobby, but he was just in time to see the rental car pull out and drive away. Cole let out a roar of frustration before walking over to the front desk.

"Who just checked out?!" Cole demanded.

"Who wants to know?" the clerk shot back.

Carter pulled out his badge. "FBI, that's who. Who just checked out?"

"What are you doing?!" Cole asked angrily. "They aren't…"

"We don't got time for this cover-up nonsense!" Carter interrupted. He looked back at the clerk. "Who just checked out?! I'm not asking again!"

The clerk looked around nervously. "They checked in under the name 'Madison Taylor'. They aren't…dangerous, are they?"

"Let us worry about that," Carter answered. He turned to Cole. "Let's go. They couldn't have gone far."

Carter started walking out, but the clerk suddenly called out.

"Wait! I might know where they're going!"

Carter's ears were burning. He calmly walked back to the front desk. "What do you know?"

"I overheard them talking about the San Bernardino Forest. I think that's where they might be going."

"You're sure about this?" Cole asked firmly.

"It's all I heard," the clerk responded.

"Thanks," Carter sighed. He started to walk away, but he looked back one more time. "Don't tell anybody about this. Nobody has to know FBI was here. Don't let me find out you told."

The clerk nodded nervously. Carter and Cole made their way outside the Holiday Inn and to their car. This was it. These four kids were finally going to be cornered. And Carter would finally be able to end this…and get some long-awaited answers.

* * *

"Wait, guys. I need a break."

Sakura was always the athletic type with a lot of endurance, but even she was tired after this long walk. She looked around her to see that she was surrounded by trees. They had all gone deep into the snow-covered forest. She couldn't see the road anymore.

"I hope we're not lost," Meilin pointed out. "Does anybody know where the road is?"

Silence.

"We'll find the road later," Kero finally said. It was probably his way of saying they were lost.

Sakura sighed as she realized that now wasn't the time to take a break. She pulled herself together and kept on walking, right beside Li, through the forest. That's when it finally occurred to Li to take out the Lasin Board.

"Force, know my plight! Release the light!"

The light shot out and it pointed out into the sky. That was definitely unusual.

"That's never happened before," Li said grimly. "The Lasin Board's always pointing at a card."

"We should regroup," Madison suggested. "I need to sit down."

"Me, too," Sakura agreed. "We've got to think about where to go next."

She sat on a nearby log and began to think. They couldn't have hit a dead end now. They were so close. Where could they go?

"Let me try the Lasin Board again," Li said. "Force, know my plight! Release the light!"

This time the result was different. The light started shooting out, but it also started flickering.

"It's pointing this way!" Kero shouted. "Let's go!"

Everyone got up, but Sakura was already off and running. She stopped once in a while when the light flickered, but Sakura had a general idea of where to run. The adventure was coming to a close.

* * *

At the same moment…

Carter brought up the rear as the two agents wandered the forest. There was no sign of the four kids yet and they had searched the forest for at least an hour. Carter turned around and looked back. The road was no longer visible and Carter had a bad feeling that they were now lost.

"Any idea what we're doing?" Carter asked.

Cole wandered over to a nearby cave. "We'll search in here."

"A cave?" Carter scoffed. "Why would they be in a cave?"

"Oh, trust me," Cole said assuredly. "You never know where we might find them."

Cole ran into the cave, leaving Carter outside. Carter was about to give chase, when his cell phone rang. Groaning in frustration, Carter answered it.

"Carter. What's up?"

_"It's Chris. Where are you?"_

"San Bernardino Forest. We're on the trail of those four kids. We're ready to…"

_"Is Cole there?"_

"Cole ran into some cave. Why? What happened, Chris?"

_"Make sure he isn't around. Carter, there's something you should hear."_

Carter felt skeptical. He looked around and made sure no one was around. Then he walked over behind a tree.

"Go ahead, Chris."

The next thing Carter heard came as an unbelievable shock to him. He started to feel confusion, anger…and fear. He didn't know what to think next.

"Say that again?"

* * *

"Sakura! Wait up!"

Sakura didn't heed Kero's call. She continued following the light…until it finally faded. Sakura then saw a cave…and began to sense the card's presence…just as she did when she used the Vision Card. She was just about to run in, when she thought she heard someone. It sounded like a very distant voice coming from behind one of the trees. But she shook that off. It might have just been Li or Kero…but they never had voices like that.

Sakura dismissed that and ran into the cave. She quickly pulled out her key.

"Key of Clow. Power of Magic. Power of Light. Surrender the wand. The force ignite. Release!"

Sakura took her wand and continued walking through the cave. Then Li, Meilin, and Madison, who was carrying Kero, ran into the cave.

"Is it in here?" Kero asked.

"The light stopped," Li said grimly. "I don't know why, but it has. Either way, though, I sense it's in here."

Sakura cautiously walked around, with her friends following behind her. She tried not to make any noise, because there might have been an off chance that there could be bears inside. Of course, if there were, Sakura couldn't see them. She wandered off to one side of the cave, while her friends searched on the other side, leaving Sakura practically alone.

It was very quiet inside that cave…until Sakura heard a voice bellow out.

"Hold it right there!!"

Sakura gasped when she saw a handgun being pointed at her. She saw it was being held by a man in a black suit and shades. He looked like a government agent…who was poised to fire.

"Sakura?!"

It was Li. He heard the agent and started running towards Sakura. Then, in what had to be the scariest moment of her life, the agent fired…at Li…leaving a bullet in his upper arm. Li fell to the ground, clutching his left arm.

"Li!!" Sakura shouted in agony. She tried to run towards him, but the agent pointed the gun back at her.

"Don't move!!" he boomed. He looked at the rest of Sakura's friends. "One step and she dies!!"

Sakura didn't make another move. She just stood still…fearing for her life. She couldn't understand what was happening. And what made matters worse, was that there was still an American Card lurking in this cave.

But just then, someone else walked into the cave. It was another government agent in a black suit. He had the same angry scowl as the one that was threatening Sakura and he also pulled out a handgun. Except he had it pointed at the other agent.

"Put the gun down, Cole!!"

"Carter, what are you doing?!" the one called Cole demanded. "We have them!"

Carter was unshaken. "You heard me. I ain't playing!! Put the gun down!!"

"These four are a threat to national security," Cole growled. "We went over this! They are to be taken down by any means necessary!"

"This ain't about national security," Carter said solemnly. "It never was. From day one, I knew there had to be a piece of the puzzle I was missing. If four kids were sighted in the White House…and two of them were chasing away what WAS probably a threat to national security, then why would they be such a threat? To be honest, I still don't know. But now I know a lot more about you, Cole…if that's your real name."

"What are you talking about?" Cole asked nervously.

"I just a got a call from FBI headquarters," Carter explained. "They told me that…a few weeks ago, a body was found near the Delaware River. The body was slaughtered, but there was still enough to make out an autopsy. The results just came back today, and…the body was identified as one Arnold Cole.

"Now I'm only going to ask once. Who are you?"

Sakura had no idea what was going on. But out of the corner of her eye, she could see Li struggling to reach for the Lasin Board with his good arm.

"Force, know my plight! Release the light!"

The flickering light shot out of the Lasin Board once more, but this time, it found its card. The light was pointing directly at Agent Arnold Cole.

Carter looked on in awe. "What the…"

His disguise was discovered. Sakura now knew what this truly was…and Kero confirmed it.

"It's the Fake Card!"

Sensing impending defeat, the Fake Card, with the gun still pointed at Sakura, pulled the trigger. But to everyone's relief, the gun was empty.

"No!" the Fake Card shouted. "It just HAD to be empty!" Then he grinned sinisterly at Sakura. "Well, you're the chosen one. It took me a lot longer than I thought to find you, but nonetheless, I have. Now you can either surrender the cards, or suffer the consequences."

Carter cautiously approached the Fake Card. "Ok, so far I've got an imposter, a weird light, and…a talking stuffed animal. I don't know what's going on here, but nobody's going anywhere…until I get some answers!"

"Fool!" the Fake Card sneered. "You really don't know what you're doing, do you?"

With lightning speed, the Fake Card wrestled the gun away from Carter and threw him down. Then he picked him up and threw him to the other side of the cave, right next to Madison and Meilin. Then the Fake Card picked up Carter's gun and pointed it at Sakura. Then he shed his disguise. The Fake Card transformed into a vicious alligator-like creature and was set to pull the trigger.

"Time for this to end, Mistress of Clow."

  


Cliffhanger alert! This is where it ends until next time. In the meantime, review below and tell me what you think. And don't forget to come back!


	26. The Final Chapter

Author's Note: Last time, Sakura was confronted at gunpoint by CIA Agent Arnold Cole, who shot Li in the arm. Then, in a shocking turn of events, it was revealed that the real Cole was actually killed before any of this ever began and this Cole was a fake. Kero figured out it was the Fake Card. Being exposed, the Fake Card reverted to its original form, took down Agent Carter and took his gun…and pointed it right at Sakura. What happens now?

  


Cards captured so far: All but one

  


**CCS: The American Cards: Part 26**

  


Sakura's life was flashing before her eyes. She could feel her time was coming, but she never dreamed it would end like this. An American Card was poised to kill her at this very moment.

"I've been itching for this moment," the Fake Card muttered. "Do you have any final words?"

Sakura didn't say anything; she only saw what was approaching from behind the Fake Card. She gasped as it came closer.

****ROAR****

The Fake Card turned around and had no time to react. It was a large bear. A bear had been awakened and, in a rage, swiped at the Fake Card down with its bare/bear hand. The Fake Card dropped the gun and fell on his back. The bear tried to mount him and begin an attack, but the Fake Card tried to fight it off.

Sakura had her opportunity. She took out the Stop Card. "Stop Card! Freeze the moment! Release and dispel! Stop!"

The Stop Card took effect on the bear. The bear was frozen in its tracks. And since at that moment the bear was on top of the Fake Card, the fraud was stuck. He couldn't get up from underneath the bear. Sakura approached it and prepared to seal it.

"Fake Card! Return…"

"NO!!"

The Fake Card lifted the static bear from under him in an amazing feat of strength. He tossed the bear aside and got a piece of Sakura's wand. They both had a piece of the wand and began wrestling for it. Sakura and the Fake Card were twirling around, each desperately trying to get full control of the wand. They were getting closer to Madison and Meilin, continuing to struggle. Then, Sakura's friends took action.

As soon as she had a clear shot, Madison bravely swung her camera horizontally, nailing the Fake Card in the face. As he staggered back, Meilin ran up and kicked the Fake Card in the chest, knocking him even further back. Then she did a quick legsweep to knock him down. With the Fake Card down, Sakura took out the Earth Card.

"Earth Card! Fall from the skies. Earth! Release and dispel!"

A boulder was slowly coming down from the ceiling. Realizing that would not be enough, Sakura took out the Multiple Card.

"Multiple Card! Create more boulders! Release and dispel! Multiple Card!"

The boulder fell from the ceiling and landed in front of the Fake Card. That wasn't the only one, though. There were more boulders coming out from the ceiling and they were each falling in front of, and on top of, the Fake Card. The Fake Card was being buried in rocks.

Sakura ran up to the large pile and arrived just in time to see an arm rise out of the rubble. She took action quickly.

"Fake Card! Return to your power confined! Fake Card!"

After a long and arduous journey, the final American Card was finally sealed. Breathing a sigh of relief, Sakura recalled the other American Cards. Unfortunately, that meant…

****ROAR****

…The bear was unfrozen. Sakura looked behind her to see the fierce bear coming towards her. Sakura took out her only defense.

"Sleep Card! Release!"

The Sleep Card came out just in time. The sparkling powder covered the bear and it fell to the ground in a deep sleep. The bear was hibernating again, and this time, it wouldn't wake up for a while. But once that was finished, Sakura remembered her number one priority at that moment. She ran up to Li, who was still clutching his arm.

Li wasn't saying anything. He was only moaning in pain. Sakura was heartbroken to see him like this.

"I love you,' she said tearfully.

She embraced Li with everything she had in her. He wasn't dying, but Li was in excruciating pain. As tears were coming down, Sakura looked up to see Agent Carter, who had just gotten up.

"We'd better get him to a hospital."

* * *

Luck took its course. They weren't lost and they managed to get Li to a nearby hospital. He was being looked at by doctors, while Sakura waited alone outside the door. Madison and Meilin were out taking back the rental car and promised they'd be back shortly. They didn't want to leave their friend for a second more than they had to.

Sakura felt so guilty. All the grief she had caused Li, and then this happened. She never should have even entertained the thought of ending their relationship. What if the outcome was much more tragic? What if Li were actually killed by the Fake Card? Sakura would've never forgiven herself.

Then Sakura heard a comforting voice come from her pocket. "He'll be fine, Sakura. At least now, it's over."

Sakura tried to give a half-smile, but she couldn't. She couldn't until Li came back out. But that's when someone else came in.

"Is he ok?"

Sakura looked up to see an unexpected presence. It was Agent Carter.

"He'll…be fine," Sakura uttered.

"Are YOU ok?"

"I'll…be fine, too."

Carter sat down beside Sakura and sighed deeply. "You know, I'm just waiting for that moment when I'll wake up and find out this has all been a bad dream. One day, I'm in Washington, going about my daily routine; the next I'm getting dragged across the United States by a CIA agent, who was really a weird looking monster called the Fake Card. I still don't get any of it. But you know, I said I'd find answers, and I meant it. Even if I have to get them from you."

Sakura was getting nervous. She sweatdropped. "W-What do you mean?"

"You think I could see what I saw and not have any questions? That was some weird stuff back there, stuff I didn't even think was possible. So I want to know…who are you?"

"S-Sakura Avalon."

"Not just that. I want to know…who are you, really? What was with that wand action? What was with those cards that were doing stuff? Why was that thing after you? Why…was that stuffed animal talking? I want to know."

Sakura took a deep breath. "It's…a long story. It's a really long story. But I don't think I can tell you. You wouldn't understand. My own family wouldn't even understand; that's why I haven't told them. You'll understand why I can't tell you."

Carter shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I don't." Just then, his phone rang.

"This is Carter. What's up, Chris. … The impostor? … You called it, man. He was some maniac pretending to be CIA. … Where is he now? … Um, he's dead. … That's right. He got…gored by a bear. There wasn't a body left. He was sent down a river, I couldn't recover it. … The kids? … Um…uh…they escaped. … You heard me. They escaped. … Should we look for them? No, don't bother. They did nothing wrong, Chris. They were pawns being used by that CIA impostor. They didn't know what they were doing. … No, they won't do anything else. They aren't a threat to national security. I think they just want to go home. … When am I coming back? … Look, tell everyone I'm taking my vacation NOW. I've been through a lot. … If I told you, you'd never believe me. … Not if I see you first."

Carter hung up and gave a cocky half-smile. "You owe me. And you know what I want."

This was bad. Sakura knew that she was in a corner. Now she had to come clean, and to, of all people, an FBI agent. She couldn't do it.

"Sakura?"

Sakura turned around and forgot all her troubles. She was overjoyed to see Li walk out, in a sling, and walk up to her. Sakura ran over to him and practically knocked him down with a big hug.

"Li! You're ok! Oh, I love you so much!"

"I love you, too. But could you get off me?"

Sakura calmed herself and got to her feet. Then she heard Agent Carter approach her.

"I'm still waiting."

Sakura knew she couldn't put it off any longer. She would have to appeal to the agent's sense of integrity and pray that he could not tell anybody. But that's when Sakura got a brainstorm.

"I guess I'll tell you, IF you promise to do one thing for me."

"You owe me one, and you're still asking me for favors?"

"I'll do you another favor," Sakura shot back. "I just need you to do one thing for me."

"What is it?"

* * *

When Sakura walked outside the airport, she could hardly contain herself. She was finally home. She had missed Japan so much and she was so happy to be back. But as she walked outside, that's when her disposition plummeted. There was her brother. Tori was waiting for her, and he wanted an explanation.

"Welcome back," he said dryly. "Did you have a safe trip?"

Sakura tried to play it off. "Oh, yeah. You gotta love those plane trips."

"I want to hear everything," Tori said bluntly. "And I want the truth this time. Why were you out in the United States?"

Sakura wasn't sweating this time. She just waited for her alibi. And it came walking up behind her. It was in the form of…

"How's it going? I'm Agent Kevin Carter, FBI."

Tori looked shocked. "FBI?"

"You must be wondering why your sister was asked to travel to the U.S.?" Carter continued. "That's our fault. You see, your sister and her friends witnessed a murder of an American VIP. We needed them to come to the United States to testify, but we had to make sure that no one knew they were coming. You know, for their own safety. The guy accused of the murder had a lot of underground connections, and if they found out we had these four witnesses, their lives would have been in danger. So we even told them to keep it a secret from their families and make something up.

"The trial took a few weeks and thanks to your sister's testimony, this scumbag was put away. Then she told me about her predicament about a concerned older brother, so I felt I owed it to you to give an explanation. You should be proud. Your sister's a brave girl to go through all that."

Tori didn't know what to say. "Is that true, squirt?"

Carter answered for her with a grin. "I'm FBI. Would I lie to you?"

Tori seemingly couldn't argue with that. "I can't believe it. It sounds so crazy…but I can't argue with a government agent. I'm sorry I doubted you, squirt. Should we go?"

"I'll catch up to you," Sakura said. "Let me just…find Li."

Tori shrugged and headed to the car. Sakura tried to muffle her laughter. She couldn't believe it. She had done the impossible. She made up the perfect lie and managed to keep her secret…somewhat.

"Thank you," Sakura said solemnly. "I don't know how I can ever thank you. Um…you will keep my secret…won't you?"

"What, are you kidding me?" Carter scoffed. "If I told anyone what you told me, they'd never believe me. They'd probably throw me in some mental ward. So I'd say your secret's safe with me.

"Besides, I wouldn't do that to you. Not after that great idea you had. This is so great! Man, I can't believe I'm taking my vacation in Japan. I love it! It's better than anything I could've asked for. So…I guess this is it, kid. See ya."

Sakura waved as Carter left the airport. She didn't know the FBI agent too well, but she was relieved to know he wouldn't tell anybody about her secret. More than that, though, she was relieved that it was all over. She was finally home…and had some wonderful memories of the United States.

* * *

One day had passed since Sakura came back. School was not kind to her when she got back. She was saddled with homework that she would have to do. When she got home, she tossed down her pile of work on her bed.

"Whoa! What's this?" Kero asked. "Is this everything?"

"It's my reward for being a Cardcaptor," Sakura muttered dryly. "I'll be doing this for weeks."

Sakura was set to get started. That's when her phone rang.

"Hello?"

_"Sakura? It's Li."_

Sakura smiled warmly. "I was wondering when I'd get to hear from you."

_"Um…you aren't busy, are you?"_

Sakura looked at her mountain of work. "Uh…not at the moment. Why do you ask?"

_"Madison wants to play the tapes she made from our trip. She wants us all to be there."_

"That's a lot of hours of film. But sure, I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Sakura!" Kero snapped. "What about your homework?!"

"I'll do it later!" Sakura growled at the stuffed guardian. Then she turned back to the phone. "But is Madison feeling all right? I know that this trip has given her enough grief to last a lifetime."

_"She's just happy we're all still friends. But she has been thinking of Eriol a lot. Do you ever think he'll come back?"_

"I'm not sure. I hope so. It sounds like Madison really feels something for him. I'm afraid she might even go as far as to go to England herself."

_"That's the way it's sounding. But she wouldn't do that, though. …Would she?"_

Sakura hesitated. "I…don't know. …Anyway, I'll be over there in a little while. But…are you feeling ok, Li? You weren't at school today. Is your arm feeling ok?"

_"It still hurts. But I'll live. I'm just glad you're safe."_

"I just wanted to thank you again, Li. I owe you my life."

Sakura shed a tear that fell on her desk. She still felt so guilty for not trusting the one she loved.

_"Don't worry about it. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if anything happened to you. I love you, Sakura. You mean the world to me."_

"I feel the same way. I love you, too."

_"So I'll see you in a few?"_

"I'll be there."

_"Love you."_

"Love you, too."

Sakura hung up and dreamily started making her way out. As close as her relationship came to ending, it didn't. Her relationship with Li was stronger than ever and she loved him more than anything.

And she always would.

* * *

Kero didn't know what upset him more; the fact that Sakura was putting her work off until the last minute, or the fact that she was leaving him behind. Either way, when she left, it gave him an opportunity to reflect on everything that's happened.

He never would've believed that the United States would have become so populated over the last couple of hundred years. He reckoned that Clow Reed didn't believe it, either. It was a good thing Sakura was around to pick up the mess that was made.

Kero flew over to her desk to examine the incomplete Clow book. There was still no seal on it, despite putting the 20 American Cards back in. He couldn't think of what to do with it. It would be safe in Sakura's hands, but without a seal, there wasn't anything guaranteeing that they wouldn't get loose again.

Then there was a light. It started to emit from a spot on Sakura's desk. Kero recognized the spot as the spot where Sakura shed her tear. He hadn't seen anything like it, since…Li Shoran left for Hong Kong. Sure enough, another card was being created. The tear spread into one last American Card. Kero picked it up and examined it. It read:

**The Trust**

"The Trust Card," Kero read aloud.

He didn't know how it happened. Magic was worked once more. But an instinct told Kero to place the card inside the book. So he did. And when he closed the book, a light started to brighten from the book's cover. When the light faded, Kero was amazed to see a seal.

Kero marveled at this. "The book. It's been completed."

The card Sakura had created out of one tear had completed Clow Reed's incomplete book. The incomplete book was completed by The Trust. There really wasn't any other way to describe what just happened.

He couldn't wait to tell Sakura when she got back.

  


**THE END**

  


Author's Note: Special thanks to Ina-Chan. Your post on the message board helped a lot with the ending.

  


That's all folks. This has been really fun to write and I hope you all enjoyed it. I hope to be back in the future. In the meantime, tell me what you think. Review below and let me know.


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